errours and those dangerous errours also we should be in danger to receive all under the notion of truth to close with all and swallow all that comes under that pretext Where now by the aboundance of errours we are made more wary more watchfull If it be given out that there is a great deale of false Coyne of light gold abroad it will make men carefull of what they receive which if it were not so we should receive all that comes So here certainly God would by this permissive providence of his have us take heed as well what we heare as how we heare he would have us to take heed what we receive God seemes to speake he would have us to entertaine truth not traditionally but knowingly not because it is the mind of such and such men but because it is the mind of God not because discovered by such and such men but because revealed of God In our dayes in regard of the multitude of errours God seemes to speake to you to be more then ordinarily wary in the receiving of truth to receive it knowingly weightily humbly to receive it after sound debates not suddenly least you be deceived with an errour Let it passe through all debates before it be received under the notion of truth We have some things that are meerely divine and there is no debate to be in them if a toole come on this Altar it defiles it Some things which are mixtly divine and those admit of debate The Apostle tells us of two sorts of truths 1. Foundation truths 2. Building truths 1 Cor. 3.10 11 c. There are some truths that are to be entertained without debates of reason they are to be beleeved as soone as revealed faith is required to the entertainment of them As God in the Trinity of Persons and Vnity of Essence Christ in his Person hypostaticall Union of Natures the work of Creation the Resurrection a Rationes precedentes fidem minuunt fidem subsequentes augent here faith must goe before reason beleeve and know It is an unsound opinion b Vbi definit ratio incipit fides where reason ends faith must begin here reason must not begin at all reason pollutes its corrupt and will corrupt these these are supra above though not contra rationem against reason There are some truths againe and that is most of those which are in dispute and debate now adayes and they are not to be entertained without long debate dispute holy reasoning You are to use all your knowledge and Christian wisdome and all your skill in the word of God all your prayer and seeking A man may entertaine a truth as well as an errour too quickly that is when he entertaines it upon trust or without debate or because others say it or practise it or because at first view it seemes like a truth this is to entertaine it too quickly the Church of Ephesus is commended for her patience Rev. 2.2 And this may be one part of it one branch of her patience that she had tried them which said they are Apostles and found them liars and this was not done suddenly as the third verse implies So let this be your commendation that you have tried those opinions that carry the highest pretext that you have not been apt to beleeve every spirit but you have tried the spirits and the doctrines c. before you have owned them You would not take a man into your house that you knew not and will you entertaine any thing into your heart you would have tried servants such servants as are known such husbands and wives of whose goodnesse you have heard and will you let in a truth and not try it What ever you entertaine as truth you are to be subject to it and will you be subject to errour You are to maintaine truth to part with goods to endure friends to become enemies to part with liberty life for truth And shall I not try it shall I doe all this for an errour Indeed if you were to doe with truth as some others can that can take them up for their occasions and lay them down againe at pleasure that can embrace them and renounce them when they please then you did not need so much curiosity in search but when you are to entertaine truth as you doe your husbands and wives till death separate nay to take it not only till death but to all eternity this should make a man consider and not be too light of his beleefe and entertainment of truth Again if thou were to entertaine truth as a servant only that should only serve thy uses and be serviceable to thee as many doe with truth they aske what it can doe for them before they entertaine it if it were to be so entertained then there need no such great triall that truth that would be most serviceable to thy estate and advantage thee most in the world thou mightst embrace Religion were then nothing but a policie But being to entertaine it as thy King not to subject it to thee but thy selfe to it not to have it to moove according to thy mind but thou according to its motions this should make thee consider before we entertaine Againe if that we might entertaine a truth as we doe only our goods into our houses that would not endamage us any way though they bring in nothing yet they would not endamage us then the matter were not so much But when we are to entertaine truth as that which must live on us that for which I am to part with relations with comforts with riches with estate with liberty with life Beleeve it it would make a man in earnest and try throughly before he doe entertaine a thing for truth and to be sure that God saith it But adde to this your soule may depend on it and that to eternity and not only thine but thy posterities too how many families in this Kingdome that are Papists upon no other ground then their ancestors were and doth the soule of me my child husband wife c. depend much on me and shall not I be wary what I entertaine surely no honest heart but will Well this is another ground or end God suffers errours that we might entertaine opinions warily drop by drop is the best receiving of opinions We are commanded to buy the truth and surely the errours that are abroad tell us it is to be bought by retaile in parcels not by whole sale in the grosse for feare of receiving errour as well as truth there are many cheating chapmen abroad false lights I name none I aime at none in particular There are such who huosterize the word adulterate sophisticate the word And what 's that they mingle truth and errour linsey woolsey And if you take up all in the grosse you may be deceived therefore beware try before you trust examine search Take heed that no man deceive you And thus I have shewed you the first how
a Synod may by a solemn act and in the name of Jesus Christ renounce any further communion with such Churches till they be reformed Ibid. and may in the same name declare and publish those erring Churches are not to be received into fellowship with any of the Churches of Christ Cotton Keys p. 25 nor to have communion one with another in the ordinances of Christ Here is now a great deal And one of the brethren hints something more in that expression of his We dare not say that the power of a Synod reacheth no further then to give counsell For saith he such as their ends be for which according to God they doe assemble such is the power given them of God to attain those ends as they meet to minister light and peace to such Churches as lie in errour or variance so they have power by the grace of Christ not only to give light and counsell in matter of truth and practice but also to command and enjoyn things to be believed and done the expresse words of the Synodicall letter imply so much Act. 15.27 It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and us to lay upon you no other burthen This burthen therefore to observe those necessary things which they speak of they had power to impose it is an act of the binding power of the keys to binde burthens and this binding power ariseth not only materially from the weight of the matters imposed but also formally from the authority of the Synod which being an ordinance of Christ bindeth the more for the Synods sake So that here you see is a great agreement all the difference is in point of Excommunication they conceive a Synod hath not power to excommunicate either Churches or persons 1. And for Churches in that many of the brethren agree with them and say as I told you a whole Church is not to be excommunicated and for those that dissent and say whole Churches may be excommunicated to them they grant not only the half of it but the substance of the thing for what is condemning forsaking rejecting of a Church c. but Excommunication in the substance of it and so some of the Brethren take it the least that can be made of it is Analogicall and proportionable to Excommunication 2. And for the second viz. the Excommunication of persons by a Synod to me they grant the thing though not the name and the Brethren of the other minde say they thinke that Excommunication doth not belong to a Synod Secundum actus elicitos sed imperatos It is rather the work of a Synod to enjoyn it to be done then to doe it themselves yet if delivering up to Satan be not of the formality of the sentence of Excommunication as many of our brethren thinke but the consequent and fruit of the censure Bur. Heart divisions p. 4. then I see not that there is any difference as I shewed you before And thus I have shewed you what materials our brethren will afford us to this building which I could for my own part rather be content to sit down withall then by raising it higher but heighten our confusion run the mischief of division among our selves then which no penall evil can be sadder and more uncomfortable I wish we might all remember the Apostles rule Phil. 3.15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Neverthelesse whereto we have already attain'd let us walk by the same rule minde the same things And thus we have done with the first great means for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons viz. Ecclesiasticall We come now to the second means propounded which we call civil and magisteriall * NoÌ„ tantuÌ„ sermo meus quantum mandatum tuum Naz. And this is a point of no lesse concernment then it is of controversie at this time The secoÌ„d means to sâ—ppresse errour It were a sad thing if there were no bounds for errour and as sad it were to goe beyond Gods bounds for the suppressing of them I told you in the entrance upon this last Question it was a tender point an intricate subtle controversie diversly asserted and as differently maintained I shall not here deal with this controversie in the latitude of it only as relating to the Question here propounded And that I may not lengthen out this discourse too farre by multiplying needlesse Questions and entring upon collaterall disputes I will summe up all that I shall speak to this Quâ—stion under these five generall heads 1. We will shew you what power the Magistrate may be said not to have 2. We will shew what the power of the Magistrate is asserted to be as relating to this Question 3. We will examine whether such a power be ordained and warranted of God 4. Whether such a power be needfull in the Church 5. And lastly how this power is to be dispenced 1. We will begin with the first viz. What power the Magistrate may be said not to have In the entrance upon which let me tell you by power I mean not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the power of might but the power of right not a power taken but a power given and that not by men but by God an authoritative power wherewith he is invested of God for Id possumus quod jure possumus And in that sense I speak of the Magistrates power thorow this discourse And first then 1. The Magistrate hath not an absolute power to doe what he pleaseth in the things of God The object of religion is a supernaturall good and for that we are not to depend upon the will of man but the will of God that which he hath commanded we must doe Ezek. 20. When Magistrates goe beyond the bounds of the Word they take upon them a greater power then God hath given them they are Gods Ministers Rom. 13. and therefore their wils are to be subordinate to the will of their Master and upon all their injunctions should be engraven what the Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14 38. The things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Prerogative royall of God and Christ to command things because they will and cannot be usurped by any mortall man without high injury to Jesus Christ Tertullian hath a passage to this purpose IniquaÌ„ exeractu do miâ—ationeÌ„ si ideo râ—gâ—vis licere qu a vultis non quia â—â—buit non licere Tertul. A pol aâ—vers Gent. You exercise an unjust dominion over others if you therefore deny a thing may be d ne because you will not because it ought not to be done It was a hâ—gh presumption of Constantius who when he would compell the Orthodox Christians to imbrace Arianisme uttered these words Quod ego volo pro canone sit That which I
either this doth fill his spirit with horrour to heare it and so doth awaken him and puts him upon reading praying studying searching or else he is carried away with the streame of the temptation and if not openly yet he â—acitely subscribes to the thing though he speakes not out witnesse the casting off that feare that awe that care he had before And thus Satan comes to Atheist men if he doe not awaken and unatheist you by this he will certainly Atheist you more 2. To discourage and take off the heart of men from doing any thing As it doth weaken the beliefe of truths so it wounds the practise of them much more if men faile in principles they will not long hold out in practise if in rebus credendis things to be beleeved surely in agendis of things to be done Men you know will not labour and take paines for that which they have no beliefe of you shall heare men discouraged and taken off from plaine common duties praying hearing reading why will a man say I see all I doe to no purpose I have done this and that I have prayed gone to Church walked in such and such wayes and now all this is cried downe there are opinions abroad which throw down all these as nothing and therefore as good to sit still and doe nothing as to doe all this and to no purpose 3. It may stand with Satans ends that there should be multitude of erronious opinions I say not only some errors but many should abound that he may the better suite himselfe to the tempers of men every fish is not to be caught with the same bait some with one and some with anâ—ther therfore the cunning Fisherman doth suite his baites to the fishes he angles for So every man is not carried away with the same error some are led aside with one and some with another there is a dissonancy between a man and some errours scelera dissident and therefore Satan he hath multitudes and variety of errours abroad to suit with every mans temper of lust As it is with errours of conversation every one is not carried away with the same lusts that may be lovely to one which is no way pleasing to another the covetous man he will not be prodigall and a spend thrift c. and therefore Satan suites temptations to the temper of spirit in men So it is with errours of judgement every one is not seduced and led aside with the same errour c. and therefore it suits with Satans ends not only to have errours but many errours on foote that he may have a bait for every mans temper provision for every mans lust As the lusts of life are diversified you see the Apostle tells us that wicked men served divers lusts Tit. 3.3 for we our selves were disobedient serving divers lusts they are diversified according to the measure of understanding according to notions received according to tempers of men relations interests and diversity of wayes men are ingaged in Every man is not carried away with the same bait temptation nor lust some are carried away with grosse lusts lusts of life and practise men of grosse and beastly temper sensuall men others againe of finer tempers and spirits that must be undone a finer way a more spiritfull way the grosse way is too low for them and here he hath the lusts of the understanding and yet every one of these are not taking with all some are taken with one errour some with another according to the difference of knowledge and understanding and the command of some lust in the heart And therefore Satan hath multitude of errours on foote that he may suite temptations to the tempers of men Non promotus sed expertum doctor Luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.14 Rev. â— 24 2 Cor. 3.2 14. And hence he is called a Serpent a wily creature yea and the old Serpent and his temptations the depths wiles methods of Satan You had need to take heed of him if he see a man conscientious he will not goe about with grosse temptations to corrupt him for there he thinks it will be labour in vaine but he endeavours to corrupt the understanding with errours and such as are agreeable and correspondent to the conscientiousnesse of his spirit as I might shew at large 4. A fourth end that Satan hath to the wicked in multitude of errours it is to corrupt them and defile them more errour is of a corrupting and defiling nature Satan labours all he can to corrupt the soules of men and his chiefe designe is to corrupt the fountaine the understanding He doth not so much care for to corrupt a man in his practise as to corrupt a man in his principle to corrupt a man in his life as to corrupt a man in his judgement he knowes an erronious head will quickly come to a sinfull life Mens lives are but squared according to notions received and impressions of things retained in the understanding As true notions doe help to frame a good life so false notions are serviceable to a bad the one is the seede of a holy the other of a sinfull life so that though you could not know truth and falshood in the seede in notion yet you might know it in the fruit in the conversation Men act surely according to their principles received if there be not a bridle and restraint upon them by something without And therfore if Satan can but corrupt a mans understanding he knowes such a man he will be sure for him he will sin without reluctance without check or disturbance If a man have some true notions or light in his understanding though for the present his life be bad and he be carried away with strength of temptation yet Satan is not so sure of this man as of the other he knowes so long as this light is in him he will not sin so fully if he sin yet not without controle and check and he is in danger to loose him at every turne Satan is ill troubled with a man sound in judgement though corrupt in life either the light in his understanding will overcome his darknesse in life or the darknesse in his life will overcome the light in his understanding and the combates such a soule finds makes Satan he cannot yet conclude which shall have the day But now if he can corrupt the understanding if he can pollute the spirit the refined part of man then he knowes this man is sure he can bring this man to maintaine his sinne yea and argue for it and doe all this with shew of religion I told you a corrupt heart will breed a corrupt judgement in time but a corrupt judgement will presently work a corrupt life A man that hath his understanding yet preserved he doth not work regularly in a way of sin he is off and on as his lust doth prevaile but now the other he walkes uniforme he is alwayes the same
not only to use others eyes but our own eyes nor are we to commit our faith to others judgements but to clear it to our selves l Pedibus potius quam cordibus caâ—t in sententiam aliorum qui dogmata non expendunt They rather bring their feet then their hearts into a way who subscribe to the doctrines of any without examination and search m A fiâ—guliâ— ergo in doctrina sâ—â—â—tis admittendâ— usus propriae rationis propriique judicij requiritur c. The use of a mans proper reason and judgement is required of all those who are to receive the doctrine of salvation not that we should judge according to naturall reason of divine truths but that we should use our understandings enlightned according to the rules of good and necessary consequence what is agreeable and what is disagreeable to the Word of God and are no further to submit to the doctrine of any mortall man then it is evidenced to us to be deduced out of the Word of God and agreeable to the minde of Christ I have here given you a taste of an abundance more that might be alleadged you see a cloud of Witnesses that it is the duty of all to examine not only the opinions of private men but the sentences determinations of Synods and Councels and to receive or reject them as they shall be found consonant or dissonant to the Word of God We will now come to the fourth thing propounded viz. The answer of objections and so passe to the second viz. By what rule we are to examine Obj. If Christians are to examine and judge of the opinions and doctrines of their guides or them who are set over them then it will follow they are judge of their Judges but this is absurd And therefore Ans A Christian makes himself Judge of none nor is he judged of any as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.15 It is one thing judicare another thing judicem agere one thing to judge of mine own acts another thing to act a Judge To judge by way of authority in foro externo in publike way of doctrine doth not belong to private Christians but to judge by way of a Christian in the Court of conscience in foro interno what is to be done what is not to be done what is according to the will of God what not this belongs to every Christian It is the duty of every Christian to weigh perpend examine the opinions and doctrines of others so farre as they contain any thing to be believed or done and in this doing he judgeth not of persons but of things not of men but of doctrines not as they are the acts of others but as they are to be his own acts The Apostles in Acts 5.40 did judge it not fit to abstain from preaching the Gospell notwithstanding that decree of the Priests and yet they made not themselves Judges of them So the Christians judged notwithstanding the sentences and decrees of Emperours that Idols were not to be worshipped and yet they were not the Judges of those Emperours So the three children in Dan. 3. There is a two-fold judgement granted by Papists themselves Forense Rationale The former to wit publike judgement they say belongs to them that are in publike authority the other belongs to all to whom God hath given a reasonable soul And * Vâ—â—squisque debet â—â—tus suos examinare ad scientiaÌ„ quam à Deo habet omnis enim homo debet secundum rationeâ— agere Aquin Aquinas grants some kinde of judgement to the people And therefore this judgement viz. rationall and private judgement may be exercised by their own confession and yet in this they are not judge of their Judges Obj. 2. Those who ought to rest in the judgement of their Doctors and teachers they ought not to examine and judge of doctrines and receive or reject them as they shall appear to them to be true or false But private Christians ought to rest in the judgement of their Doctors For this they urge that of Christ The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chair what ever they say to you doe Answ For the first part of the objection that we are not so farre to rest in the doctrines and determinations of any as not to examine I have fully cleared to you in this Discourse already and this doth but beg the Question if indeed we are to rest in the judgement of others then its true it were not our work to examine but to doe but I have shewed we are not to rest in the judgement of others and therefore our work first to examine before we doe And for that Allegation of Christs Sedendo sâ—per caâ—hedram Mosâ—s legem Dei docent ergo per illos Deus docet sua vero illi si vâ—lint dâ—cere nolitâ—â— audire nolite facere Aug. â—ract 46. in Joh. we are to understand it that Christ would have them to hear them so farre as they might hear God in them that is so farre as that which they speak was agreeable to the Word 〈◊〉 God and no otherwise certainly Suppose that the Scribes and Pharisees should have preached to the people as no doubt but they did that Christ was not the Messiah that he was not sent of God to be the Saviour of the world would Christ have them hear them in that certainly they themselves doe not hold that and therefore that whatsoever is to be understood with this limitation so farre as their doctrine and precepts were consonant and agreeable to the Word of God For where they erred he himself blames them And indeed if the Papists would consult with their own authors as touching this point they would resolve them in it One of them propounding this Quâ—stion Whether people are bound to obey their Superiours in all things 1. Non tenâ—tur subd tus obedire superiori suo coÌ„â—ra praeceptum majoris potestatis â— NoÌ„ tenetur obedire si ei aliquid praecipiat in quo ei noÌ„ subdatur Aquin. 2. 2. q. 104 art 5. he resolves it after this manner 1. The people are not bound to obey their Superiours if that their command be contrary to a command of greater power 2. The people are not bound to obey their Superiours if their Superiours should command any thing to them in which the people are not subjected to them that is if in his commands he goe beyond his bounds and require that of them which is due to God to require only When he commands things which are contrary to the Word of God we are not bound to obey because this is contrary to a command of greater power When he commands things which are besides the warrant of the Word and beyond his bounds we are not to obey because he hath not dominion over our faith he commands things above his power It is a savoury speech of Austin a Oportet nos ex ea parte quae ad haÌ„c vitaÌ„
God hath not commanded unlearned men to study Divinity that thereby they might be able to maintain the truth God doth not require of them say the Papists that they should understand those things or come to the knowledge of them a Iudicando ex ratione doctrinae by judging of the truth or falsehood of doctrines b Sed pendendo ex authoritate docentium but by depending upon authority of the teachers Ans Briefly to answer this It is not necessary to all and singular persons to judge of all Questions and Controversies arisen touching faith and therefore not necessary they should make it their study But for such as are necessary doctrines without which there is no salvation it is needfull that all that would be saved should both hear them and understand them and judge of them What a fearfull thing if our condition were such as those blinde Papists who know nothing but believe as the Church believes and that they might not know the key of knowledge is taken from them they are interdicted the private use of Scriptures and the publike use of them is rendred unusefull being read to them in an unknown tongue And having thus beasted men they say to them after this manner * Vos rudes est is imperiti nullo modo potestis judicare de quaestionibus fidei ergesi salvi esse velitis nihil jam reliquum est nisi ut coecâ obedientiâ nostro judicio subscribatis Bellar. You are unskilfull and illiterate and therefore are no way able to judge of Questions of faith if therefore you would be saved there is nothing then remaining but that you should with a blind obedience subscribe unto our judgements and determinations Here is the miserable condition of those blinde deluded souls We know better we know it is our worke to study and enquire into the things of heaven It is our worke to learn to be able to judge of things that differ if to prove all things then to judge Indeed if by Divinity be meant Spiâ—osas Scholasticorum altercationes those thorny disputes of School-divinity or wrangling questions doubtfull disputations such points as doe but nourish contention not edifie the heart and conscience then we say indeed that God hath not tyed all men to the study of such Divinity The Apostle saith Him that is weak in faith receive ye but not to doubtfull disputation But if Divinity be meant the holy Scriptures and those things necessary to salvation then we say that God hath tyed all men upon this bond and obligation of life to study enquire and to be able to judge of these things which concern eternall life One objection more Obj. 5. But you will say It hath been the constant custome of the Church of God in all ages that those who have not restâ—d in the judgement of those who were their guides and such set over them were deemed for heretikes therefore it was never lawfull for private men to examine and to judge and reject the doctrines of their Superiours Ans A short answer will serve for this It is one thing to be a Heretike Daven de Jud. norma pag. 159. another thing to be so reputed There is nothing more common then this that they who have gotten publike power and authority to joyn with them to account them for Heretikes who reject their decrees and determinations because they are perswaded they have decreed nothing but what is according to the rule of the Word But if they be deceived as it hath often fallen out and that the other be in the truth those who are called Heretikes are the Orthodox To reject the decrees of Councels doth not make a man an Heretike but to reject the truth the Word of God And therefore it is needfull to examine and to judge of things * Ne dum haberi pro haereticis vitamus esse haeretici incipiamus Daven ib. lest while we would shun to be called Heretikes we begin to be Heretikes And thus we have done with the first grand Query Who are to examine of opinions I told you there was a two-fold examination one publike the other private And I laid downe this position That it was the duty of every Christian not onely to examine private opinions but the sentences determinations of Councels Synods and to reject them or receive them as they shall be evidenced to be consonant or dissonant to the Word of God It is needfull before we passe to the second to make some application of this first the season cals upon it The Position applied Let us then give to Synods and Councels that which is their right It is their right and office to expound Scriptures and to unfold and determine controversall doctrines and to declare their sentences and decrees to the Churches But let us not give to them that which is divine and Gods right to submit to their definitions and determinations of faith without any scrutiny examination and judgement whether they be according to Gods minde or no. It is the speech of a learned Divine a Laicis praecipiamus quod illis ut â—â—e est ne temerè superbè rejiciant sanà orthodoxa decreta praepositorum sed ne illis mandemus quod planè servile est ut nullo judicio adhibito faciant quae vis imperata Superiorum Daven Let us charge the people with that which is profitable to them that they doe not rashly headily proudly reject the sound and Orthodox decrees of Councels and of them set over them but let us not prescribe that which is beastly and servile that without any scrutiny and examination they subscribe to the judgement and impositions of them over them this is as one speaks b Homines in belluas transformare to transforme men into beasts to denude them of man of reason this is c Fedibus potiâ—â— quaÌ„ cordibus irâ— in sententiam aliorum rather to goe into anothers opinion with the feet then the heart My Brethren you have now a Councel an Assembly at work about the Reformation of the worship of God We all know it hath been corrupted and blessed be God we have so much hopes it will be reformed we have an Assembly of choice and godly men who I perswade my self look toward God for his direction But they are but men though choice men they doe not claim an unerring priviledge none will say they are infallible and therefore it is our work to examine d Non est satis dicere quod visum est seâ— oportet etiam probarâ— quod dictum est non expectamuâ— testimonium quod datur ab hominibus sed quod voce Domini probatur quaeritur Clem. Alexand Strom. 17. Judicium ministrale is with them they have publike and ministeriall judgement and are to determine define and declare the doctrines of faith and manner of worship unto the Churches of God Judicium discretionis is left to us every one hath
foundation in Scripture Cum habeamus omnium exactissimam perfectissimam regulam ex divinarum Scripturarum assertione â—ro vos omnes ut relinquatis quid huic quid illi videatur de bis a Scripturis haec oâ—n a in quirite Chrys Nihil sinè nihilixira nihil praeter nihil ultra divinam Scripturam admittendum est Consul MortoÌ„ p. 2. l. 3. cap. 25. every heretick will alledge Scriptures but the Scripture will not patronize errours you may cast them upon Scripture but the Scripture will not father these unlawfull births of your owne which are begotten between ignorance and corrupt affections The Scripture it self is a pure fountain without mud an infallible rule without errour or deceit and nothing else is 6 Prop. That which is the rule whereby opinions are to be tryed is to be a just exact measure capable of no addition nor no detraction neither of lengthning nor of lessening But that is only proper to the Word of God Mens judgements of things are capable of addition they are not so full to which nothing more can be or ought to be added nor are they so perfect from which nothing can be taken away Never were the results of men so full that there was place for no addition nor so perfect that they had not after cause to retract in some thing But now the Scripture is such a Rule which is exact compleat and perfect and this is largely handled by our Divines against the Papists in opposition to their supply of unwritten traditions they are able to make the man of God perfect there needs no traditions of men there is a sufficiency a perfection in Scripture Nay and they are not onely compleat perfect but intire in this perfection to which nothing must be added nor from which nothing must be substracted and taken away as you see it Deut. 4.2 Yee shall not add to the Word which I command you nor shall ye diminish ought fâ—â—m it so the 12. Deut. 32. and Deut. 5.32 Yee shall doe whatever the Lord hath commanded you shall not turne aside to the right hand or to the left Neque pastor neque concilium imo neque Argelus in â—ebus fidei recipiendus est non dico solum conâ—ra scripturas sed etiam obsque scripturis vel praeter scripturas Bil. Con. Apol. p. 2. p. 266. Diabolicum est extra divinarum Scripturarum authoritatem aliquid divinum putare Theoph. Gal. 1.8 If an Angell from Heaven should preach another Gospell let him be accursed And Rev. 22.18 19. which shuts up not onely Johns Prophecy but the whole â—anon of Scripture If any man shall add to this prophecy God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shal take away from the words of this book God shall take away his part out of the book of life and holy City c. and therefore the Scriptures being so exact a rule so compleat and entirely perfect capable of no addition nor diminution it must needs follow that the Scripture is the alone rule whereby we are to try opinions that lapis lydius or touch-stone whereby we are to prove all the doctrines of men And so much for the first Argument Arg. 2. That which is to be our Judge after death is surely to be our Rule in life this is plain if we are to be judged by it surely we are to be ruled by it if it must be our Judge hereafter then our Law here But the Scripture shall be our Judge after death Joh. 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my Word hath one that judgeth him Mort. Ap. C at p. 2 l. 1. c. 48 53 c. Cons Park de polit eccl l 2. c. 2. p. 148 149. Non aliter impios haereticos perfrictae frontis possâ—mus convincere nisisacros habeamus codices ex quibus clara veritas elucescit Mort. def Apo l. p 1 c. 9. See Reynolds conf p. 97. Cons Park l. 2. c. 2. p. 130. the Word which I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day So 2 Thess 1.8 He shall come in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 2.16 He shall judge men according to my Gospel Arg. 3. That which is the touch-stone to discover truth and to manifest errour is certainly the rule to trie opinions But the Scripture is the touch-stone to discover truth and to manifest errour therefore For the truth of this minor proposition that the Scripture is the touch-stone it is easily made good thus That whereon all truths are founded and by which all truths are confirmed and wherein all errours are convinced and condemned is surely the touch-stone whereby all opinions are to be tryed But in the Scripture are all truths founded and by it are all truths confirmed errours convinced and condemned Ergo. Arg. 4. That unto which God himself doth demit us and send us to try opinions that surely is the rule to try opinions But to the Scripture doth God demit and send us for the tryall of opinions for the finding out of truth from errour and discovering errour from truth therefore surely this is the rule Now that God doth demit and send us thither for the tryall of opinions and for the discovery of truth from errour you shall see Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them When the Question was to be resolved against the Sadduces concerning this point of the resurrection Christ doth reduce them to the Scripture and tels them if they had searched and enquired there they would have been convinced of their errour Consul Whitak cont 1. q 5 cap. 13. Matth. 22.29 Jesus said unto them Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God So when he would prove to the Jews that he was the Messiah for proof of that he reduceth them to the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me It should be our enquiry in all our opinions what saith the answer of God men say this others say that but what saith the answer of God a De câ—â—lo quaeâ—â—ndâ—â— est judex sed quid pâ—â—sanuâ— ad coe um cum habeâ—mâ—â— hiâ— in Evangelio â—estamentum The Judge is to be sought from heaven but what need we knock at heaven when we have his Word his minde in Scriptures b Coelestis judex non â—u nubibuâ— sed ex Scripturis quaerendus You are not to seek the heavenly Judge from the clouds but from the Scriptures In terâ—â—inamlis controversiiâ— Theologicis sacrae diviâ—â—que Scripturae solummodo relinquatur locus So then that unto which God doth demit us and that wherewith we are to consult in all controversies of faith of
of touch in application we come now to the Query Qu. 3. If the Scripture be the Rule God in Scripture Judge yet the great Question is Who shall judge that this is Gods minde in Scripture Here lies all the controversie There is great cause of propounding this Question in regard that the Scriptures they are not in all things so clear but that you see they are capable of many interpretations Capable I say not that these divers senses doe arise from the nature of the things affirmed or from the minde and intention of the declarer but from the ignorance or perverseness of the searchers and inquirers as was said before There is nothing more known then that there are divers senses various interpretations of the same Word of God of the same texts in Scripture Had it never been known before yet our daies had given us plentifully sad experience of it which is the root of all the divisions and differences among the people of God The Papists indeed have a way for union though not Gods way they take away from the people first the Scriptures and then the judgement of discretion or rationall judgement and give them no power to examine and try their Councels sentences determinations but contrarily tell them they are bound with implicite faith and blinde obedience to submit to and receive the doctrines and determinations of the Church and their safety lies in submitting their judgements to their guides though they lead them in a way of errour not considering that which Christ saith If the blinde doe lead the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch Thus they doe they take away the Scriptures from them the light of the Sunne and then put out their eyes too take from them a common and rationall light tell them they have no power to examine their sentences and determinations and then they bid them follow them in the dark give up their faith and consciences to be ruled and guided by them thus after they have made them as beasts they put them under the yoak and deal with them as beasts And now when they have done this they boast of the unity that is among them and tell us they are all of one minde they are not divided into so many factions and different opinions as Protestants are Indeed they have a blinde agreement The Protestant Churches goe not this way for to bring men to union they render us the Scriptures in our own tongue Whitak cont 3. q. 6. Daven de judic nor fidei p. 110 111 112. c. 136 142. they tell us it is our duty to search and examine them they tell us that Councels are not infallible that every Christian hath the judgement of discretion and is bound to try all things they tell us that we are not bound to submit to the determinations of any no further then they shall be made evident to be consonant and agreeable to the Word of God Consul Whitak cont 1. q. 5. c 8. Mort. Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c 11 12. And if this occasion difference which it doth not of it self yet it is better knowingly to differ then brutishly to agree It is better to differ as men nay as Christians for so we doe in a kinde every one holds forth light and conscience to be the ground of difference though this conscience may be misled and this light may be darknesse I say it is better to differ as men as Christians then to agree as beasts if we differ we differ Christianly if they agree they agree brutishly A conscientious dissent is better then a blinde union if the one be ours I am sure the other is theirs But I am too injurious to you We will come to the Question Qu. The Scripture is granted to be the rule whereby we are to try opinions and God in Scripture is agreed to be the supreme Judge of them But here is the Question who shall judge that this is the meaning of the spirit that this is the minde of God in Scripture It is granted * Scriptura est sui ipsâ—m interpres Whit. cont 1. q. 5. cap. 13. Scriptura se clarissimè laculentissimè interpretatur si nos ScripturaÌ„ sese interpretantem attendere volumus si non in omnibus ubique locis ficut dubitationis â—ihil relinquatur tamen in pâ—urimis maximeque necessariis in sum mis fidei nostrae capitibus Whitak loc cit Consul Paâ—k l. 2. c. 2 p. â— 151 152. Mort Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9. Scriptura eam stidiosè perscrutantibus est sui interpres Consul Dave de judic ac nor fidei c c. 17. q 4. p. 95 96. c. Vâ—de Whitak cont 3. q 6. An Concilia possint errare per totam quaestionem that the Scriptures are the best interpreters of themselves and thither all must goe for the discovery of the truth or falshood of opinions not only private men but Synods and Councels if they speak not according to this Word it is because the truth is not in them And there are eight severall Rules laid down by that learned Whitaker which if they were observed by all in the tryall of opinions and searching out the minde of God in Scripture abundance of controversies would come to a fair end you may peruse them in his 1. Cont. q. 5. cap. 9. de medijs inveniendi verum Scripturae sensum But it will be said if every man is to be Judge then so many men so many mindes there will be nothing but differences divisions and confusions If it be said a Synod or a Councell are to judge then are men either to submit to their sentences and determinations before they have examined them or they are to examine them before they submit to them If we say the first that we are to submit to them before or without examination then doe men give up their faith and consciences to men and yeeld implicite faith and blinde obedience to humane authority If we say the second that we are to examine before we are to submit which certainly is the truth no Councell upon earth is infallible if not infallible it may erre if it may erre then certainly there is a liberty left for every one to examine and if a liberty to examine then the like liberty to assent or dissent from their determinations as they shall be made evident to his own understanding and conscience to be consonant or dissonant to the Word of God the supreme Judge of doctrine But I am not in this Question to deal with the consequences or the severall inferences that will be made upon the answer of it I have reserved that to the next which is the sixth generall Question viz. What are the remedies against errours and erronious opinions I shall therefore at this time only lay down the answer and so passe on Qu. The Question is who is to judge that this is the minde of
the History of truth the historicall knowledge of things but the godly have the mysterie the mysticall conceptions of them To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Others have the bark and outward rine of truth Illi corticem pij medullam veritatis 1 Cor. 2. ult but the Saints have the marrow and spirit of it We have the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult Unregenerate men may have the out-side but there are secrets in truth in every truth which they know not The Apostle speaks plain The carnall man is not able to understand the things of the Spirit of God and upon this ground because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Cor. 2.14 he may discern of them as a man but not as a Christian he may discern of them rationally but not spiritually As there is need of a naturall eye and light to see naturall things and of a rationall understanding to conceive of rationall things So there is need of a spirituall eye and light to discern of spirituall things there is as much disproportion between spirituall and rationall things and a spirituall and rationall eye as there is between an animal or sensitive eye and a rationall eye the rationall perception of things is not so farre above sensitive as the spirituall is above the rationall perception of things I say man is not so much above a beast as a Christian above a man there is something of animality of the beast in man but there is nothing of a Christian faith and spirituall understanding of things in him faith is as much above reason as reason is above meer sense Which might have been a 3d restriction that unrenewed men or men of corrupt life they may be of right judgement for a time in many things but as men not as Christians by the light of reason not the demonstration of the spirit And therefore you see though it be a probable signe of errour when the entertainers of it are men of loose and corrupt lives yet it is not an infallible evidence for even such men may for a time be right in judgement in main things The Raven might bring good meat to Elijah though she her self was an unclean bird the bird was unclean but the meat it brought was good indeed it was but once we never read of a second time that either the Raven brought it or Elijah received it and it was when he was in the wildernesse too when we are in the wildernesse and straits we may receive bread from a Raven God may make use of a Raven to bring bread but we are to expect and receive our daily bread from better hands Indeed it 's true Non quis sed quid affertur Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 Isa 8.20 we are not to look so much upon him that brings it as the meat that is brought we are not so much to look upon persons as doctrines we should rather judge of truth and errour by Rule and Scriptures then by life and practice thither God sends us Isai 8.20 To the law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this truth it is because the light is not in them Men of corrupt life may deliver to you many excellent truths either out of evidence of reason convictions of conscience or for mercinary ends or for applause and ostentation the Apostle told us of some that preached Christ out of envie Phil. 1.15 Phil. 1.15 Certainly there is an errour of both hands we may have mens persons in too much admiration as the Apostle speaks Jude vers 16. Jude v. 16. You esteem too much of men when you will drinke in and receive an opinion because such bring it and you esteem too little of God and truth when you reject the minde of God because such reveal it it was the speech of Christ concerning the Pharisees Mat. 23.2 3. Mat. 23.2 3. They sit in Moses chair all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe but doe not after their works That which Christ spake concerning the Pharisees I conceive to be restrained to those times and to that subject of the Law 1. It was to be restrained to that subject of the Law they were the Interpreters and preachers of the Law Christ would have the people hear thē of it certainly he would not have them hear them upon other subjects if they had preached that Jesus was not the Christ that he was not the Messiah they were to expect a Messiah to come in visible royalty and glory to deliver them from their enemies as they understood that 110. Psalm and other places but as for Christ they knew who he was Is not Joseph his father and Mary his mother say they Joh. 6.41 and is not he the Carpenter No question this was the doctrine they preached and therefore Christ restrain'd them to the subject hear them while they preach the Law 2. Yea and it was to be restrained to the time too as yet the Mosaicall Law was not repealed those rites and Ceremonies were not yet abrogated and therefore as yet they might hear them and walk in the practice of those things but afterwards it would not be suffered they who preached this doctrine were called false teachers and the Apostle cals such deceivers seducers false teachers who preached observance of those things and told the people they were bound to be circumcised and to keep the whole Law of Moses This is certain * Veritas à quocunque dicatur à spiritu sancto est Au. truth by whomsoever spoken is of the holy Ghost We believe truth though the devil speak it but we doe not believe it because he speaks it nor doe we goe to him for the Revelation of it It was a truth which he said I know thee who thou art thou art Christ the Sonne of God but we doe not believe it because he said it but because God revealed it nor yet do we doubt of it because he published it who yet is a lyar and might perhaps speak this truth that we might the rather suspect it because a lyar said it but though he spake it yet we doe not doubt it because God hath revealed it So corrupt men may speak the truth I doe not say they ought to be speakers of the truth men of sinfull lives and practices are not to be in that office as dispencers of the Word and Sacraments but take it as I mean it may for ability in office nor for right to office I say corrupt men may speak the truth but we doe not believe it because they say it but because God reveals it nor doe we doubt of it because they publish it seeing God hath declared it Indeed I would not goe to a lyar to know the truth nor should I reject truth though it come from a lyar So I doe not goe to men of sinfull lives to know
for an errour There is nothing which a good heart doth entertain but he entertains it under this notion to maintain it he takes it intâ— his house his heart with a purpose to maintain it wicked men receive opinions to live on them but a good heart receives an opinion that it may live on him a corrupt heart entertains an opinion that it may maintain him but an honest heart that he may maintain it A bad heart takes in an opinion as his servant which he makes to serve him els he will not own it but a good heart entertains it as his Master which shall rule all and dispose of all if it say it must have his pains his estate c. to maintain it to promote it to advance it he is not master of any thing he hath but all must go to serve it And therefore seeing it is thus you had need to look strictly what you take into your heart you had need to know what you give entertainment to seeing you must give maintaining to it also and it may cost all you have I only say thus much all thou hast is not too dear for a truth too good for a truth But there is nothing so little but is too much for an errour And therefore take heed you be not deceived And thus much shall serve for the demonstration of the false marks we shall now come to the sure marks and characters whereby truth and errour may be evidenced You have seen hitherto though some of these which have been laid down may be said to be probable signes yet none of them can be set down for conclusive evidences We are now to deal with such viz. to lay down infallible and undeceiveable evidences of divine truth And this is the first and main Character Divine truth is word-revelation Truth proceeds from God Chara. 1 and is revealed in the Word to us All Scripture saith the Apostle * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3.16 It is given by inspiration of God and in the 2 Pet. 1.21 The prophecies came not in any time by the will of man Consul Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 Rom. 11.4 but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost The Word of God it is the râ—vealer of all divine truth if you would know what is truth your way lies clear enquire not so much what this man saith or what that For all men are lyars but search and enquire what saith the answer of God Non debâ—mus attendere quia alij ante nos sed quid Christus ante omnes dixit We are not to attend what others before us but what Christ before all hath spoken the truth is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 The Word is nothing else but a beam of that eternall Sun but a ray of divine of God-communication It is called the Word of truth nay truth it self Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth and this makes the lest syllable in the Word to be more firm for a soul to rest on then all the protestations of men or Angels they though true yet they are not infallibly true they are not immutably true but God is and his Word is a beam of this truth a ray proceeding from this Sun and therefore saith the Prophet Isa 40 8. The grasse withereth the flower fadeth Isa 40.8 1 Pet. 1.25 Mat 5.18 but the Word of our God shall stand for ever 1 Pet. 1.25 Nay heaven and earth shall passe away before one iota one title of the Word shall fail Matth. 5.18 It is truth it is immutable it is infallible truth and divine truth is Word-revelation The Scripture is not only the revealer of divine truth but of all divine truth not that there is no more divine truth then what is revealed in the Word but that there is no more for us there is no more to be believed and obeyed then what God hath revealed in his Word It is the boundary of doctrine and the adequate measure of all divine truth Deut. 4.2 and therefore God sends us thither as to the place where we should finde all doctrine to be believed and obeyed and as to the touchstone whereby we should try all Doctrines Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them And the Apostle would have you know that Word-revelation is a surer way to evidence truth then a revelation from heaven as hee tells us 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18. where having been speaking of a revelation from heaven and the clearest that ever was revealed in the transfiguration of Christ the Apostles themselves were eye-witnesses thereof and heard that voice from heaven This is my well-beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased yet saith he vers 19. We have a more sure Word of prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning Word-revelation not that this is a more sure revelation then that was but that this is surer to us Word-revelation is more sure to us then a revelation from heaven God would have us to know truth by Word-revelation divine truth is Word-revelation And that is the first Character which yet for fuller and clearer conception I will branch forth into three particular maximes Max. 1 What ever the Word of God doth plainly and evidently hold forth that is infallibly truth the Word of God or God in the Word doth give out all Doctrine to be believed and obeyed and whatever the Word holds forth what ever hath a bottom and firm footing in the Word that is undoubtedly truth All is divinely true which the Word holds forth but all is not morally and practically good All is to be believed which the Word holds forth but all is not to be observed what ever is in the Word is the object of our faith but what ever is in the Word is not to be the rule of our life There are no provisoes to be laid down in point of faith all is truth and we must believe all Fides non eligit objectum faith doth not single â—ut it 's object it doth not pick and chuse but believes all which God hath spoken but there must be some provisoes in matter of practice though all to be believed yet all is not to be observed unlesse 1. It be of common equity and not of peculiar ingagement interest priviledge 2. Unlesse it be of perpetuall right and observance Vniversalis perpetui juris and not temporary and for a time only There were many things which the Word gave out to the Nation of the Jews to be observed which since Christ are as Statutes now repealed they were not of common and generall equity nor were they to be of perpetuall and everlasting observance and therefore are not to be observed by us though believed of us what ever the Word gives out is to be the object of our faith but not
themselves with the more shame and sorrow they humble themselves before God they are as little before God as bigg with men This is the nature of truth where it is entertained either it will inable you to be humble or humble you for your pride it will worke one way either it will empty of pride or empty for pride if you have swelled those swellings are breathed out in sighes the sighes of the closet doe abate the swellings of the chayre and if it work either way notwithstanding this objection this operation may be a good evidence of truth that truth doth humble those who entertaine it and so much for the first eminent operation of truth I shall be briefer in the rest The second great operation of truth is this Secondly Truth hath a heart-changing a heart-transforming power I put them both together because I would draw up all as close as I can It hath I say a heart-changing power Paul had no sooner seen that great truth Jesus was the Christ but he became another man of a wolfe he is now a lambe of a sinner a Saint of a persecutor he becomes a Preacher So the Jaylor what an eminent change did the receiving of the truth make in him he that before was so cruell and inhumane to them how gentle how tender how sweet was he now Truth makes such a change upon the soul that this worke is called a new Creation and the man upon whom it is wrought is a new creature he hath a new judgement and notions of things a new heart and affections to them a new life and conversation in them he is a man who differs as much from himselfe as before he did from another man head and heart and life and all are changed And this change is not a morall a partiall a formall change but a thorow universall and spirituall change they are sanctified by truth Joh. 17.17 And therefore I say it doth not onely change but it transformes it hath a soul-transforming power truth doth transform the soul into the nature of truth it makes the soul holy as it is holy pure as it is pure spirituall as it is spirituall it makes a man like unto it selfe Be but at the paines to peruse two places for this the first is 1 Jam. 21. where the word is called an ingraffed word which indeed changeth the stock into the nature of it selfe As you cut off the boughs and branches of a crab-stock that you may ingraff the better fruit into it so the Apostle he bids us there to lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtines which are the corrupt branches in which a corrupt stock doth abound and saith he receive with meeknes the ingraffed word which as it is able to save your souls hereafter so now to change the whole stock into its own nature the second place I would present to you is the 2 Cor. 3 18. While looking upon him as in a glasse we are changed into his own image from glory to glory truth hath this transforming power where it is entertayned such as mens notions are such are their spirits ill precepts beget ill principles corrupt doctrines corrupt hearts A mans heart carryes a conformity with his notions and principles there is a great agreement between what is entertained into the understanding and what is wrought in the heart the worke of the heart is but the births of the understanding the issue begotten upon the heart by the power of the notions in the minde never face answered face more exactly in the water then the heart answers the head where truths are of divine reception you may receive truths partially and as men onely and yet be never the better for them there may be truth in the head and a lye in the heart but if you receive truth fully and as Christians as the wax takes the impression of the seale so doth the heart of truth and principles are bred in you suitable to those notions you have truly received truth where it is entertained in truth it hath a heart-changing and a heart-transforming power It makes you like it selfe holy as it is holy pure as it is pure spirituall as it is spirituall And when men are not so one of these two must surely follow 1. Either that is not truth which you have received 2. Or else you have not received it truly either that is not a good word which is ingraffed or that good word was never yet ingraffed into you Certainely where that is ingraffed both stock and fruit are changed And so much for the second Oper. 3 A third operation that truth hath upon the soul where it is entertained It hath a sinne-subduing power truth is of a purging healing purifying and commanding nature Where truth is received in power nothing is in power besides it where it commands in the soul the soul is under no other command but truth where it is truly a Master and it is not there truly where it is not a Master there nothing rules but truth what the Apostle saith of the spirituall man I may say of truth which is a great part of him It judgeth all and is judged of none and it commandeth all and is commanded of none Truth was never there in power where lust hath power nor never had command in that soul where corruptions beare sway Indeed sin may dwell where truth doth dwell but sin doth not command where truth doth reign No man can be under the reign of truth and under the power of lust a servant to truth and a vassall to his corruptions truth hath a sin-subduing power it can pull downe strong holds cast downe high imaginations and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Are you then under the authoritative power of any corruption are you under the command of any lust lusts of the understanding lusts of the heart or lusts of life Know this either that is not truth which you have entertained or you have not entertayned truth in the power of it Oper. 4 Fourthly A fourth operation that truth hath upon the soul where it is entertayned It hath a heart-quickning power as the main truth did raise us up from death and beget life in us at the first for every truth in its measure and proportion is serviceable to cherish and quicken life begotten in us Truth and life alwayes goe together truth alwayes carries life with it and life is ever the companion of truth Christ is called truth and he is called life too Joh. 14.6 I am the truth and the life hee could not bee the one if hee had not been the other Now as all light is in the body of the Sunne yet every ray every beam carries light with it So all life is in Christ who is the great truth and yet every truth is a beam from this Sunne and great truth it carries life with it it is therefore called the light of life Joh.
9.5 You can have no communication of truth but there is a conveyance of life with it every notion will beget motion every beam of light will be a stream of life and carry you on with power to the obedience of truth revealed the same spirit which is the spirit of truth is the spirit of life and of power and where hee is a spirit communicating light and truth there he a spirit conveying life and power to the soul also To conclude this then you have entertain'd some opinions for truth but are they soul-quickning truths are they helpfull to the life of God and to the life of grace in you Tell me doe they dead you or doe they quicken you more and doe they quicken your graces or stirre up your corruptions Are they serviceable to grace or are they helpfull to sinne It is the nature of truth to quicken our graces but to dead our corruptions and this is the nature of errour to provoke our lusts but to dead our graces A fifth Operation of truth where it is entertain'd it hath a Opera 5 heart-inflaming power Truth is a beam of that Sun which doth not only enlighten but heat and warm us Claritas in intellectu parit arderem in affectu Light in the understanding begets heat in the heart the understanding is as the medium between the heart and Christ and serves as the burning-glasse to the heart whereby the heart is set on fire with those notions which are carried from Christ by the understanding to the soul hee that is baptized with the holy Ghost the spirit of truth is baptized with fire Fulget cherub intelligentia luce ardet Seraph charitatis igne Pic. Mirand de dig hom his affections are inflam'd with the love of it He that like the Cherub doth shine with light and truth like the Seraph burns with heat and love Truth hath an heart enamouring power could wee but see it in it's beauty as the Philosopher said of vertue I may of truth we could not chuse but be in love with it and that which doth enamour the heart must needs enflame the heart that which takes the heart must needs set the heart on fire either with desire to enjoy it or with love in the enjoyment of it Indeed it is true many are too hot in an errour and others are too cold in the truth and it is the ones sinne and the others shame the one is the fruit of the partiall reception of truth they take it into the head not into the heart Thâ—y receive not truth with the love of it as the Apostle saith 2 Thess 2. and the other is the fruit of the blinde entertainment of errour they have light without heat and thou hast heat without light their light is a false light because it is not joyn'd with heat and thy heat is a false heat because it is not joyn'd with light And yet I confesse many are zealous in a way of errour when the best are too cold in the truth it is our shame as their sinne But here is the comfort a little true heat is worth a great deal of false fire a little zeal acted with grace is worth a great deal spirited with corruption Men in ignorance are like those under the frigid zone they are cold and frozen and have no heats or affections in them Wee may love things we have not seen as the Apostle speaks of Christ 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen Ignoti nulla cupidâ— Invisa pos summa amare incognita ne quaquam yet you love but wee cannot love things wee have not known and men in errour are like men under the torrid zone who burn with a false heat but men in the truth they are like those who live under the temperate zone whose heat is comfortable and makes them fruitfull or if you will take it in another comparison men in ignorance they are like dead men altogther cold and have no heat in them Men in errour are like men in a fever whose heat is their distemper but men in the truth they are like unto men in health whose heat is their health and enables them to action and resisteth corruption And that is a fifth operation of truth where it is entertain'd it hath a heart-warming a heart-inflaming power We come to the last Oper. 6 Sixthly and lastly Truth hath a heart-raising and spiritualizing property where it comes into the heart with power it doth raise and spiritualize a man indeed the naked knowledge of truth doth no more raise the heart then the sight of the Sunne doth lift a man up to heaven but when truth comes into the heart in it's power it carries the soul thither whence it came All truth as it came from God so it carryes the soule to God it rayseth and spiritualizeth a man it doth spiritualize and rayse his understanding his notions and conceptions of things it doth spiritualize a mans heart a mans affections a mans actions it makes him a spirituall man 1 Cor. 2.15 Men are much according to their notions of things men of low conceptions are men of low spirits men of higher and more spirituall notions are men of finer tempers of more refined spirits so farre as truth is received so farre it doth refine a man if it enter the head a man is part refined but if it be received into the heart the whole man is spiritualized A mans head may be refined and yet he may have a grosse heart as Christ saith Make their hearts grosse that seeing they might not see they did see in the head and that was refined but they did not see in their heart and therefore that was still grosse but if the heart once be spiritualized with truth then the whole man is made spirituall for truth is of a spiritualizing nature And so much shall serve for the operations of truth and this third and last Character viz. Truth doth advance the whole worke of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints Well then you see there are many opinions abroad Vse and it may be some of you have given entertainment to some of them I doe not say that they are all of them erroneous but many are others have much errour mingled with some truth I have given you three touches whereby you may be able to judge of them three Characters whereby you may be inabled to discover truth from errour And doe you try your opinions by them see are they such as are word-revelation doth the word plainly and evidently hold them forth or are they deductions drawne from the word But see is not the place mistaken are the deductions rightly gathered are they consonant to the harmony of Scriptures doe they suite with Gods maine end in Scripture By these you may be able to discover them Again the opinions which are held forth or you have entertained doe they I say advance God doe they advance all God all the Attributes all
your selves you must be content to sacrifice all to the obedience of truth you must be content to give up your sinnes as a snare and your selves as a sacrifice for the enjoyment of it he that sees not truth more riches then all riches he that prizeth not truth above riches friends the world he shall never be a true owner of it Indeed he may own it but never be true owner of it he may own it as a servant and make use of it so farre as it may be serviceable but he will never own it as a Master to which he makes all serviceable Many love to command truth but few to be commanded by truth many love to be master of it but they will not be mastered by it they look upon truth as we look upon fire and water to be good servants but bad Masters and therefore as they entertain it when it may serve them so they can disclaim it when they are to serve it I see a deal of self in the world both in the setting on foot and in the entertaining and maintaining of opinions nothing would be so great a check to errour nor open so free a course for truth as the removing of this great obstacle of self out of the way let it be all our prayers we had never more cause Good Lord deliver us from our selves Let not self interpose it self either in the venting the searching the entertainment or rejecting of opinions lest we close with errours and deny the truth And so much shall serve for the third Caution I will be brief in the rest If you would finde out truth Caut. 4. beware of wilfulnesse and perversnesse of spirit we are oftentimes too stubborn in errour and too easie in the truth we are I say too facile in the truth and too tenacious in errour and though there be no reason why we should be so yet there is great reason why we are so errour you know errour hath more agreement with us then truth it is more sutable to our natures and our tempers and therefore we doe more strongly adhere to it besides it may be an errour may be the birth of our own hearts a brat of our own breeding and bringing forth and we love our own It is more easie to deny the births of our body then the births of our souls it is more easie for a man to deny his naturall affections then his sensuall affections sinne is more our selves then our substance is and there is much to heighten the difficulty Certainly it is an act of great self-emptying for a man to recede from and deny what he hath sweat for what he hath brought forth with a great deal of pains and handed to others under the most lovely and receptible notions of truth and hath perhaps gotten a great deal of honour of applause of gain thereby I say it is hard for such a man to deny himself in such opinions There is no man would be accounted either weak or wicked either a deceiver or a fool now he knows he shall run the censure of one of the two either men will look upon him as wicked and a deceiver one that hath been an impostor and seducer or else they will look on him as weak and simple And the present height of esteem which the opinion hath raised him up unto doth heighten the act of his self-deniall and make it more difficult for him to become nothing we have need to beware of such a spirit men have taken too much liberty in our daies to vent themselves and it may be have drawn many disciples after them they have gotten much applause and much honour by being singular none indeed have more esteem amongst many then they whose hearts are the forges of novelties It is a sad thing Oh! but take heed of being perverse in your way learn to deny your selves and judge it your honour to be conquer'd by truth It is greater honour to be the spoil of truth then to carry the trophies of errour a greater honour to be a servant a vassall to truth then to be a King in errour And with that I shall shut up the Cautions We shall now come to the Directions whereby you may be able to finde out truth in these daies wherein errour abounds Direct 1 1. Consult impartially and diligently with the Word of God and God in the Word There is much in this first Direction It is indeed the main of all and therefore we shall speak the more largely to it The Word of God is held by all the touch-stone to try and discover opinions the mine where truth lies the mint of doctrine the orb out of which truth shines the casket wherein this jewel is locked up the Starre by which we must sail if we would be preserved from those rocks and shelves which otherwise we are in danger to split our selves upon 1. But then 1. The Word of God must be consulted withall the Starre will be no guide if we doe not eye it nor will the Word be any direction if we doe not consult with it we must then consult with the Word which hath relation to the understanding for the affections are not to intermeddle in the finding out of truth 2. And secondly we must consult impartially that is without prejudice without prepossession without byassing without sinister affections without corrupt aims and ends consult impartially as men desirous to know and resolved to doe It was the fault of the Israelites they desired Jeremy to enquire what was the minde of God but they were pre-resolved before what to doe Optimus lector est qui dictoruÌ„ intelligentiam expectat ex dictis potius quam imponat retulerit magis quam attulerit Hillar Non enim sensum queÌ„ extrinsecus attuleris alienum extraneum debetis sed ex Scripturis sensâ—m capere veritatis Morton Apol Cath. p. â— l. 5. c. 9. de Scr. jud and therefore when Jeremy brought them a message contrary to their mindes and pre-resolutions they rejected it and said in plain termes they would not obey the Word of the Lord which he had spoken So many they enquire into the Word but not with impartialnesse of spirit they are men pre-resolved and rather enquire to strengthen their own resolutions and pre-possessions and engagements then as naked single inquisitours to know and obey the minde of God revealed this is the doublenesse of spirit in men these doe not enquire Gods minde but enquire to strengthen their own minde they are resolved of their way and rather search to fortifie themselves in their pre-resolutions then to alter their resolutions according to Gods discoveries Take heed of such a spirit Consult but consult impartially as men that doe apprehend it their happines to know the good and acceptable will of God 3. Consult diligently Wisdome is a treasure that must be digged for as the wise-man tells you and so is truth and I may say of one
empersecutionem subcamus parati s uâ—nus om neâ—in martyrâ—um non in obâ—e â—uium Atha in epist ad solitar vitaÌ„ agentes 1. Principâ—s deâ—et â—ogere subditos ad illam religionem quam ipsi in conscrentiis sais â—ud caâ—t esse veraÌ„â—â— Subdeti non debent profiterâ— reâ—giâ—nem à â—rincipe inperatam nâ—si ipsi simul judi caveâ—int illam esse sanam â—â—thoâ—oxaÌ„ Of which more in the next particular This is certain there is no power against God and his truth if therefore the Kings of the earth either out of pride or negligence or ignorance should establish errour in stead of truth we are to say with the Apostles It is better to obey God then you as Athanasius said If the Kings of the earth should command that we should undergo persecution for the profession of the truth we are prepared for martyâ—dom rather then other obedience Brentius hath two propositions which by many are said to be asystata inconsistent 1. That Princes ought to compell their Subjects to that Religion which they in their consciences doe judge to be true 2. That the people ought not to professe that Religion which is commanded of the Prince unlesse they doe also judge it to be sound and orthodox Indeed these two seem repugnant one to another But certainly he doth not mean by the first proposition that the Prince is to compell his people to the practice of that which he doth simply judge to be truth but what God in his word doth assert for truth if the Prince be in an errour he is not to enforce his erroneous judgement upon his people but to lay down his errour and search out the truth yet this perplexity he stands in if he doe enforce his people to errour he sins directly against the law of God and if he doe not doe it he sins against his conscience because he neglecteth to advance that which his conscience tells him is a truth And upon this ground I conceive he saith that a Prince is bound to enforce his people to that religion which he in his conscience doth thinke to be truth because unlesse another medium which I thinke may be given he sins if he do not do it either against the law of God if he be in the truth or against his conscience though he be deceived 2. The second Proposition is more clear That the people are not bound to professe that Religion which is commanded unlesse they doe also judge it to be according to truth The power of the Magistrate doth not binde to obedience unlesse his commands be consistent with the will of God It his commands be contrary to Gods will Quando re ges pro erâ—ore contra veritatem constituâ—nt maâ—as leges probantur benè â—relentes coroâ—aÌ„tur perseverâ—ntes Aug. de correct Don. â— c. 13. Patiendum potius quod Rex minatur quam faciendum quod ab illo jubetur It is better to suffer what he threatens then to doe what he commandeth Hence Augustine hath this passage When Kings doe make laws for errour against the truth beleevers are tried and perseverers are crown'd So much for the first 2. This power is to be dispenced knowingly not only rightly but knowingly We have no Altar to the unknown God blinde worship and ignorant service is a sinfull service though you doe not sin in the matter done you may doe rightly yet you sinne in the manner of doing if you doe not do it knowingly that word that hath put power into the hand of the Magistrate must be his light and guide in the managing of it It is a high abuse of this power to exercise it rashly and inconsiderately with what reason or religion can others be commanded to the obedience of that which we our selves have not the clear and undoubted demonstration is of God If it be required that we are to be fully perswaded in our own minde before we doe much more is it requisite that there should be a full perswasion a clear evidence from the Word before we doe command others to doe lest we be partakers of others sins and in this run the hazard of opposing God Those things which we do not knowingly we can never do surely a man may strike his friend as well as his enemy in the dark and not to do surely here is to do sinfully In matters of fact the Magistrate hath done his duty and is clear in the doing of it though the witnesse prove false Deut. 17 6. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death And the Magistrates going according to this evidence in matters of fact is clear though the witnesse be false But I cannot thinke it so in matters of faith he is to goe by another rule and by surer demonstrations It is not here what this man saith or that man saith but what God saith He must enquire and know fully before he require any thing of his people It is his duty to study what is Gods will to read Scripture to compare Scripture with Scripture to conferre and labour to be resolved of difficulties he must pray and he had need to assemble godly humble unbyassed uninteressed men to enquire and finde out the minde of God there cannot be too much done before actions of such a high nature are attempted If notwithstanding the best and fullest means upon earth used a Magistrate may be mistaken then how fearfull a thing is it to attempt actions of this nature without any considerations at all Upon what dangerous rocks and precipices do the powers of the earth run themselves under Popery who never enquire into the truth but blindely lend their utmost power to establish and maintain by fire and sword Par in Ro. 13. prop. 3. what ever the Pope commands Indeed they had need to beleeve him to be infallible and that he cannot erre who are to execute his commands because he requires them Those who act such things because any man or men on earth say it had need of such a belief Certainly a Magistrate in the execution of this power had need of better security then either man or men can give him Former times do tell us how miserably the powers of the earth have been abused even when they have been desirous to establish the truth and suppresse errour yet they have been deceived with a shadow of truth and in stead of truth have established errour Fefellerunt Aâ—iâ—niâ— ignorantem regem ac persua seruÌ„t ut falsam credendi formulaÌ„ eâ—clesijs impoâ—eret Hâ—lar de Synod advers Ar à . It was so in the dayes of some of the Emperours when Arianisme raigned and many ages have made it good since by wofull experience And therefore certainly there had need to be good security before such a power be exercised It hath been usually said that a Synod is to goe before disquirendo dirigendo docendo in enquâ—ring directing teaching and
maintaining of an opinion c. But I passe this 2. Conscience in an errour is able to hold forth some evidence some light out of the Word though mistaken he is able to say something for his opinion conscience is not prevailed withall but by some shew of truth some appearing demonstration from the Word such a man he is able to tell you what that is which doth over-power him in the belief of such Doctrines or opinions he is not led by example nor carried away with a faction nor doth he take up this opinion because others doe nor doe interests and relations prevail with him but it is some shew of reason some evidence of Scripture that hath over-powered him If any thing below this hath wrought him into an opinion certainly the opinion hath not power over his conscience and something below this may bring him out again This is a good discriminative discovery of men if conscience be truly in an errour he can say something for it he can tell you what hath prevailed what hath over-powered his conscience No man can say this is an errour or this is a truth because I am so perswaded but because God hath so revealed To the word and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this truth it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 And therefore conscience in an errour can give you some grounds out of the Word it can tell you what hath prevailed with his spirit what hath commanded his soul into the belief of that which he holds for a truth 3. Conscience in an errour is willing to receive to let in and submit to further light if it can be held out to him if any can make out by the Word his opinion to be an errour he is willing to submit to it and fall down at your feet blessing God for it and humbly thanking you for the discovery of it which certainly is the genuine disposition of conscience in an errour as light brought it in the appearance of light so light shall drive it out the evidence of light And he thinks it honour enough to be conquer'd by truth as I told you he would rather be the spoyls of truth then carry away the trophies of errour So willing is he to give up himself to truth and to retract his errours which makes me sometimes wonder at Luther who you know held Consubstantiation and did violently maintain it against many learned Divines of his time yet a little before his death talking with Melancthon whom he had often opposed in it doth ingenuously confesse that in the point of the Sacrament he had gone too farre here was something the acknowledgement of the truth but yet taking counsell of men rather then of God for fear lest if he retracted those opinions the people would have suspected his other doctrines also he would not publish it but left it to others who succeeded him to root it out insensibly which hath been the ground of so many divisions D. Reyn. praelect 4. in l. Apoc. p 53. Col. 1 and so much blood between the Calvinists and Lutherans and is such a breach to this day 4. Conscience in an errour bear with my expression fears no storming There is errour in conscience and conscience in errour when errour is in conscience it hath conscience for its buckler it takes conscience for its shelter and defence it gets into conscience as its strong hold being otherwise afraid of stoâ—ming but when conscience is in errour it holds out errour for its buckler and defence which because he apprehends it to be truth for it is conscience in errour therefore he fears no storming no power or opposition what ever He apprehends it to be a truth and therefore is confident of its strength that it is able to hold out all opposition if it will not he is glad to revoke it and will conclude it an errour because it will not hold out opposition and so will no longer make lies his refuge 5. Conscience in an errour is firm in the truth If you see men to yeeld up truth and yet are stiff in their errour if you see one to wave a truâ—h which is received of â—ll and yet is pertinax in an errour peremptory in an opinion which is opposed by all you may suspect that man Try then if such men have the like firmnesse to truths of common reception and agreement as they have to those things wherein they are singular and differ from others if so certainly here is not conscience truly in an errour 6. Conscience in an errour is uniform conscience truly conscience is uniform and regular in all the acts of conscience We say that temper of body is not good which is hot uniform if it be hot in one place and cold in another nor is that temper of conscience neither see then if there be the like conscience in other things whether he be in all his actions under the power of conscience as he professeth to be in this whether he doe not make conscience of tithing mint and anise and none of the great things of the law or as the Priests who made no conscience of murthering Christ and yet they made conscience as they said of suffering his body to hang upon the crosse because it was the preparation for the Sabbath This was devilish hypocrisie Conscience is uniform and he that is truly under the power of conscience in one thing is also under the power of conscience in all things St James saith He that bridles not his tongue that mans religion is in vain 7. Conscience in an errour will not make use of any sinful unlawfull way to uphold his errour He will not make other truths a stalking horse to hold up that he will not stretch a place of Scripture to serve his ends he will not cast dirt upon another truth to give more lustre to his he will not make use of other truths of greater concernment to serve as a threshold to advance his Indeed where errour is maintained out of faction or a spirit of errour there they will make all to serve their own ends they care not to pull down the very pillars of religion nor what they ruine to raise up a structure for errour he cares not to weaken the power of such Scriptures which afford foundations of comfort to a soul if he may make them serviceable and usefull to him he will give up a place for comfort loosen the foundations of comfort and holinesse if by that he may lay the foundation or strengthen his own fabrick and errour which is a high peece of devilishnesse And I say this age is too guilty of it And now by these rules you may be able to know whether conscience be truly in an errour or whether only errour be in conscience whether it be truly conscience or only a pretence of conscience if it be truly conscience and such a conscience as I have spoken of God
from us as the matter will not bear much lesse to fasten such deductions upon them as their professed judgement and if such things have been done it were a good way to agreement to retract those unjust charges which obstacle and block up the way to a happy union 5. Let there be a truce and cessation from all matters of strife and contention agreed on Print not preach not spread not your differences let there be a mutuall consent not to publish severall opinions which makes the people like a troubled sea without rest tossed with contrary winds and doth but heighten disagreements and make them more difficult to be composed and reconciled partly because in so doing men are more engaged and so harder to retract and their parties are encreased whom it is more difficult to satisfie 6. Lastly Set upon a brotherly and amicable conference And here I fear I speak it with grief I am as a man born out of due time yet I will speak my heart in it though former attempts in this kinde have been abortive yet after endeavours may be succesfull miscarrying wombs may be fruitfull let it be again again commanded and attempted In this conference let it not be thought presumption if I humbly suggest the consideration of four things 1. The persons undertaking it 2. The intention with which 3. The manner how to be carried 4. The obligations in it I will speak to them in brief 1. The persons undertaking it must be considered it is the main requisite to a happy agreement Certainly they are to be holy men principled from above and not byassed with carnall and corrupt interests humble men not great in their own thoughts and opinions not too big to close wiâ—h any truth nor so little as to side with an errour Meek men such as are under the reign of reason not the command of passion and in the acting of the one can silence the other Self denying men such as can trample under foot their own concernments Quis non vita sua redimat submotum istuc infinitum disfidij scandalum to advance the interests of Jesus Christ It was the speech of Bucer Who would not purchase the removing that infinite scandal that comes by dissension even with his life Men truly of such spirits might do much for the composing of our differences And yet alas I dare not but perswade my self such we have had and yet may say in the words of the Prophet We looked for peace but there is no good and for the time of hâ—aling but behold trouble 2. A second thing to be considered in this conference is The intention with which it is to be carried Not to non plus silence or conquer one another much lesse to search out disagreements and enlarge them but brotherly and humbly to finde out the truth and conscientiously to soader and compose our differences 3. A third thing to be considered is The manner how it is to be carried certainly not passionately and contentiously as adversaries striving for mastery but brotherly friendly humbly as men mutually seeking out for truth All strife is unsutable unles it be this Who shall be furthest off from strife If once men fall to crossing and contending one with another they will never be able to perswade much lesse to procure and settle any happy agrâ—ement Noluit haÌ„c laudem ad versae parti concedere quod pacis concordiae stud oâ—â—ores quam ipse essent Daven p. 4 It was the speech of Luther at the agreement at Marperg That he would not by any means suffer the adverse party that honour to outstrip him in the desires of peace and amity O that we could thus out go one another in the desires after this happy agreement and pursue it in an humble brotherly way in which should we happily prevail with either party they would not look upon themselves conquered but conquering nor would they be ashamed like those overmatched and overcome by their adversaries but would rather rejoyce at those bettered by their friends 4. A fourth thing to be considered is The obligations in it And it were well if such persons meeting for such ends were under some solemn obligations or covenants to lay aside all other interests and engagements and faithfully impartially and conscientiously to search out for the truth and to imbrace what ever overtures and hints of agreement God in his Word will afford them When mens spirits are under such weighty and solemn bands they will not without clear and demonstrable grounds from the Word oppose or dissent one from another nothing but God and truth shall part them And I read of this practice in some former Synods and Conventions we need to go no further then that of late the Synod at Dort wherein the members of it first the President of the Synod then all the Professours Pastours and Elders of the Netherlands deputed to the Synod and lastly all the Divines of other Nations did all joyntly binde themselves in a solemn oath wherein they engaged themselves unto an impartiall examination and decision of those five Articles in controversie according to the Word of God and undoubted rule of faith promising in this whole action to propound nothing to themselves See Paget power of Class and Synods p. 239. but the glory of God the peace of the Church and preservation of the truth And it were very requisite that those who are singled out and set apart for such a work might be under such engagements that in the whole procedure of the work they might act as such who have the vows of God upon them and might not be in such danger to be led aside with their own interests engagements affections or disaffections but might faithfully and singly seek after truth and peace And thus now a conference being setled there are but three main things to be looked after 1. To avoid all unnecessary controversies 2. To conclude and establish agreements 3. To accommodate differences 1. All unnecessary controversies are to be avoided As in doctrin there are fundamentall and superstructive truths Videl de episc Const praefat so in government there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some things immutable and unalterable and some things prudential and changeable It was one way which * Epist of Casaub to Car. PerroÌ„ K. James advised for agreement That there should be care to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary truths the one is to be preached pressed urged by the sons of peace and truth and a consent therein to be obtained the other was to be forborn and place given to Christian liberty being but a needles occasion of difference and dissension It was said by a learned man concerning the healing of the differences of the Germane Churches That as often as Divines of both sides have set themselves seriously about this work they still effected in it as much as they desired to effect and
THE ARRAIGNMENT OF ERROVR OR A Discourse serving as a curb to restrain the wantonnesse of mens spirits in the entertainment of opinions and as a Compasse whereby we may sail in the search and finding of truth distributed into six main Questions Quest 1. How it may stand with Gods with Satans with a mans own ends that there should be erroneous opinions Quest 2. What are the grounds of abounding errours Quest 3. Why so many are carried away with errour Quest 4. Who those are that are in danger Quest 5. What are the examens or the trials of opinions and Characters of truth Quest 6. What waies God hath left in his Word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons Under which generall Questions many other necessary and profitable Queries are comprized discussed and resolved And in conclusion of all some Motives and means conducing to an happy Accommodation of our present differences are subjoyned By SAMUEL BOLTON Minister of the Word of God at Saviours-Southwark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in 2 Tim. 1 hom 2. 1 Joh. 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone forth into the world London Printed by G. Miller for Andrew Kembe and are to be sold at his Shop at the Talbot gate in Southwark M.DC.XLVI TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE And eminently Noble Patriot JOHN Lord ROBERTS Baron of TRURO Right Honourable I Have had the opportunity to speak often to your ear and have now the happines to present something to your eye The acceptance my weak endeavours have found in the former way is my encouragement to succeed in this later I have long thirsted after such an opportunity wherein I might impresse some of those deeper engravings which are upon my breast and by that perpetuate my just esteems and valuations of your Honour the hour is now come and I rejoyce in it yet now I am in a strait should I give out the full counterpane of what is in my heart and by that transcribe my whole soul it would but create envy on you and be interpreted weaknes in me though in so doing I should no way be conscious to my self either of over-rating or over-speaking your worth Your vertues as they have not been ambitiously published so neither can they be enviously secreted you have not been an ambitious seeker of glory rather desiring to do then to be seen to do nor can envy it self conceal and keep down your deserved praise L. VerulaÌ„ It is laid down for a maxime by a learned Statesman That envy is a wholsome Ostracisme in a State I am sure it would be the canker of ours the present exigencies of which cals out for emulations and out-doings of others worth rather then suppressing and concealing the deserts of them who are worthy It is true Fame is oftentimes a better Nuncio then a Judge but when worth it self is the foundation of fame and the praise of men is not meerly the breath of men but the reflexed beams of vertue though it should not be ambitiously courted and desired yet it may be kindely entertained and friendly embraced being Gods report in men heavens eccho an encouragement in our work and an earnest of our reward And though it be Machivils principle and is too much the foundation of practick wisdome in more politick men That the appearance of vertue is better then the truth the one being helpfull the other hurtfull to secular designs yet that honour will never hold whose foundation is in a shadow it is but glory writ in clay but honour engraven in the dust which will not last long we have seen the experience of it in our daies many who yet had the garments of vertue Rev. 16.15 but now walk naked and their shame is discovered My Lord you have not courted the shadow but adored the substance which as it was your honour before so now it hath been your strength and muniment in these daies of distresse Long before these times of trouble you were troubled for the times looking on them as the womb of all these present births of calamity fore-seeing as it were in vision the sad harvests which those seed times did portend if God did not avert them Since these times of trouble you have sate in counsel as a faithfull unwearied Steersman whom neither frowns nor favours promises nor threats could make to desist in your duty or decline your station All temptations being too little for that spirit which was too big for the world In the Armies you have not only been helpfull in councel exemplary in conversation but active in imployment and have continued in the midst of all discouragements bin fellow-commoner with them in their wants sharer in their necessities patient of heat and cold of drought and moisture and born a part both in the greatest sufferings and mightiest services Whose exemplary doing and suffering as it was said of the L. Howards in that exigent of time in 88. though his service was but small Camb. Eliza in an 1588. the towing of a Cable yet in that little because that little was exemplary he did more then many men In the field you have encountred with difficulties undergone hazards confronted dangers faced death as if nothing were fearfull but fear Vitam quamvis non posuit deposuit tamen standing up when so many have fallen on both hands though a monument of Gods preserving mercie yet a sacrifice readie to be offered up for this Cause and for that God whose glory you esteemed more dear and precious then your life Aurum igne probatuÌ„ dicitur is cujus fides rebus adversis expâ—â—rata spectataque est Quid sunt merita nostra nisi munera Dei Aug. Thus you have every way shewed your selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approved gold all your trials rendering you more approved My Lord I reckon up these though your honours yet your duties though your adornments yet your engagements though your riches yet your debts for which you are bound to more thankfulnesse and more service As these are acts of differencing grace so they call forth for acts of discriminating duty And blessed be that God who will single us out to make us any way instrumentall for his glory if he will trust us with work we may trust him with reward where he cals forth to the one he hath surely designed the other ÎœÎΗΜΟΕΤÎΟΠPientissimae Honoratissimaeque HEROINAE Dominae LVCIAE ROBERTS Vxoris Nobilissimi Dom. Dom. JOANNIS ROBERTS Baronis Truroensis filiae Tris-honoratissimi Comitis WARWICENSIS And now my Lord among all your noble doings I cannot but sadly resent your eminent sufferings among which though the separation from your interests relations possessions be things of great weight and concernment and might much heighten and swell your sufferings yet they are drowned and swallowed up in this which is the summum genus of all the incomparable
losse of a precious Consort a beloved companion a dear yoke-fellow a losse I say incomparable being one of whom the world was not worthy and a losse incompensible unlesse made up by Christ alone She was a branch of a noble stock but yet more nobly born then of flesh and blood being born from above and more happy in her second then she was eminent in her first birth it was my happinesse to have large and inward experience of her spirituall worth which indeed was obvious to all with whom she did converse and could be no more secreted then the light of the Sunne a jewel she was which after God had polished shewed to the world and made your adornment for a time he took unto himself where now she is one of those beautifull stones which adorns the new Jerusalem while she was upon the earth she breathed after or rather breathed heaven as if she had been but a piece of glory sojourning in grace and a spark of immortality fallen down to kindle our more earthly substance She lived in the world but as much above the world as we poore creatures live below heaven Christ was her onely element upon whom her soul in it's right actings did as naturally feed as do our bodies upon our daily bread being no more able to live without him then the body without the soul Her whole life was nothing else but a continued design drawn out for the advancement of Christ the spring of whose motions was the grace of Christ and the end of whose movings was the glory of Christ She was alwaies being spirited with life from above very active and indeed her body not being able to keep pace with her soul she often out-went the strength of her body yet towards the end of her daies as all naturall motions drawing nearer to their center she moved as if every motion should put her into her rest and as if by every step she would reach the Garland and apprehend the prize She was one who scarce had another no fellow but her fellow who indeed were a pair of such noble Sisters as England could hardly match in whose two bodies lived one soul and in whose two souls lived one Christ between whom if I would make any difference it should be such an one as Alexander made between his two friends the one was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Alexander the other was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of the King or else such an one as another makes between Peter and John the one was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Christ the other was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Jesus or if you will take it in this the one excelled in knowing and doing the other in doing and knowing the one in light and heat the other in heat and light In a word they were both of them the glory of their family the comfort of their Parent the crown of their Consorts the adornment of Religion the rejoycings of the godly the refreshment of the Saints and are now both entred into the possession of that which was their breathings in grace and is their satisfaction in glory And ô that their examples might ever live as paterns to those who doe yet supervive And now my Lord having breathed out my sad resentments of your losse give me leave to put into your hands these weak but willing labours designed to the service of these times and seeking your Patronage in them they flee to you for protection and yet I know no reason they should fear harm their great design is truth the message they bring is peace the language they speak is accommodation In which word me thinks I please my self though I see lesse and lesse hopes of seeing the thing accomplishd Some Essaies I have attempted to lay down in relation to such a happinesse which were they brotherly undertaken sweetly managed faithfully pursued might either procure our agreement or lessen our difference either make us one or not so much two I cast them down such as they are at your feet as one able to judge of things And when you take them up take up these thoughts with them that he that penned them is one who while he can speak will speak peace and while he hath a being will desire to be Your humble Servant in the service of Christ to be commanded S. BOLTON TO THE Christian Reader Christian Reader THe multitude of prevailing opinions at this time was the great ground and the preservation of my own people was the main end of the undertaking the following Discourse I had not in my first undertaking the work thought it would have been so large as now it is but it swell'd under my hand and I hope thou wilt esteem its bignesse to be its perfection not its disease It usually fares with works of this nature as with our Masters bread they multiply in the breaking The whole is digested into six Questions set down in the Title page from which Generals many other particular Queries are deduced discussed and resolved In the first part my great design hath been to fence from errour and to put a stop to the wantonnesse of mens spirits in the handing and receiving of opinions In the body of the Discourse I have laid down the Examens of opinions and the Characters of truth And in the close of the whole I kept this in my eye as the mark I aimed at to drive on a happy agreement among those who did conscientiously differ Wherein it is my hope if my extreme desire of a happie accommodation hath in thy thoughts carried me too farre I may obtain the excuse of my affection For it is not granted say some to love and to be wise I am not ignorant that essaies of this nature have often proved not only Abortive but the trouble of the Parent And therefore politick men as they will reserve themselves and not speak all their heart so they will not ingage themselves beyond their power of retreat if they shall after see reason for it You know whose speech it was That he would launce no farther into the Sea then he might safely return to shore again Thou wilt see in this Discourse I am not of that versatilis ingenij And indeed the greatnesse of the evil of division and the miserie that doth attend it with my vehement desire of a happie Accommodation of our differences not too dear to be bought out even with our blouds hath over-powred me to speak my whole heart and to lay out my whole strength without those politick reserves Though I would give all reverence to the results of other Churches yet would I set up none as Hercules Columns beyond which nothing more is to be known nor nothing more to be enquired We have the same Starre to sail by which others have and it shines as bright in our Horizon as in any part of the Christian world Nor can it be any scandall
of stability 69 3 Too much credulity 71. to 77 Where five grounds are laid down of our credulity 72. to 78 2 Wickednes proper to the wicked 77 Qu. 4. Who those are that are in danger to be carried away and led aside with errours 78 Four things first premised 78. to 84 The answer laid down in seven particulars 1 All such who have not retained the notions of God in a holy and pure heart 84 2 All such who have not entertained the truth with love of it ibid. 3 All such who have not walked sutably to those truths which God hath revealed to them 85 4 All such who have embraced former truth out of partiall respects 86 5 All such who are not grounded and established in the truth 87 6 Such who have rejected truths received upon corrupt grounds 88 7 All such who have the world for their god ibid. Four sorts of men noted who will never hold to truth 89 Means of establishment in the truth held forth from the Scripture 90 Qu 5. What may be the examenâ— of opinions This branched into four lesser Questions 1 Who are to examine 90 2 By what rule we are to examine 90 3 Who is to judge 90 4 What arâ— the Diagnosticks 90 qu 1. Who are to examine opinions The errour of the Papists and some distinctions â—ouching examination premised 90 to 91 A main position laid down in answer to the Question viz. That every one is bound to examine not only private opinions but even the sentences definitions determinations of Councels Synods c. and to embrace them or reject them as they are consonant or dissonant to the word of God 94 1 This position first clear'd by Scripture 94 95 2 Confirmed by arguments 96-103 3 Strengthned by testimony 103. to 106 4 Objections are answered 106. to 112 And this main position applied to our times 112. to 118 Quest 2. What is the rule by which we must examine After some generals are premised the answer is laid down that the Scripture is the rule and touch-stone whereby opinions must be tried 118 119 This confirmed by divers arguments wherein the properties of a rule are laid down 119. to 126 Some objections answered 126 to 130 Quest 3. Who shall judge that this is Gods minde in Scripture Some generals premised together with some distinctions of judges and truths and doctrines to be judged 130. to 134 And some generall answers laid down 134 to 137 Some more particular answers formed out of those premised distinctions with some directions to finde out truths doubtfull 137. to 144 Quest 4. What are the Diagnosticks where 1 The false marks 2 The true 1 The false marks or the commonly received Characters of truth and errour are 1. Examined in six Queries viz. Qu. 1. Whether antiquity or the ancientnesse of an opinion is not a true Charâ—cter of truth 145 After some distinctions the answer is laid down 145 146 c. Qu 2. Whether the newnesse of an opinion is not a sufficient mark to discover it an errour 147 Four distinctions premised to the answer of this and the Query answered in two conclusions with some admonitions to us in these times 147-154 Qu 3. Whether the wickednesse of them that maintain it be not sufficient to evidence an opinion to be erroneous Some generall answers laid down to which are annexed four rules requisite to be observed if you would judge of an opinion to be erroneous by the wickednesse of the maintainers 154. to 163 Qu. 4. Whether the holinesse of those who are the publishers and receivers of an opinion be not sufficient to discover their doctrine to be truth Some generall distinctions are premised and the Query answered in four conclusions 163. to 169 Qu. 5. Whether this be not sufficient to evidence an opinion to be true that it in maintained by learned men and on the contrary an opinion to be an errour because maintained by those that are illiterate and unlearned 169 1 The divers distinctions and acceptations of learning 169. to 175 And thereupon ansvvers framed 175. to 182 Qu. 6. VVhether the multitude or pancity of them who are the divulgers and entertainers of an opinion be not sufficient to characterize an errour or truth After the terms explained the Query is answered at large in many particulars 182. to 190 The mysterious workings and energy of errour laid forth in seven branches 190. to 204 2 The true and infallible Characters of divine truth 1 Character Divine truth is word-revelation 205 This branched into three maximes 1 What ever the word of God doth plainly and evidently hold forth that is infallibly truth 206 2 What ever may be collected by way of manifest consequences or made out by evident deductions from the word is certainely a truth 107 Yet three Cautions are laid down concerning this 207. to 209 3 Maxim What ever may be made evident to be consonant to Gods minde or the main end of God in Scripture though there be no particular place for it yet doubtlesse it is a truth 210 2 Charact. That which doth really and truly advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God This branched forth into four particulars and many opinions in our daies examined by it 210. to 216 3 Char. That which doth really advance the whole work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints that is certainly a truth of God 217 This branched into four particulars and fix eminent operations of truth said down 217. to 214 As 1. It hath a soul-humbling power upon which some Objections are answered 221. to 228 2 It hath a heart-changing power 228 3 It hath a sin-subduing power 230 4 It hath a heart-quickning power ibid. 5 It hath a heart-inflaming power 231 6 It hath a heart-raising spiritualizing power ibid Use The whole applied to our times 233 The application branched into some 1 Cautions 2 Directions 235 1 Cautions where are four laid down 1 Beware of being too credulous where three great grounds of mens credulousnesse are noted 235-236 2 Beware of prejudices 237 3 Beware of being biassed with corrupt affections where four great biasses are laid down 239. to 243. 4 Beware of wilfulnesse and perversnesse Two directions 1 Consult impartially and diligently with the Word of God and God in the Word 244 This branched forth into four particulars and seven mediums laid down to enable us to finde out the right sense of Scripture 244. to 250 Direct 2. Get an humble heart 25â— Direct 3. Labour to be renewed in the spirits of your mindes ib. Direct 4. Get a heart prepared for the entertainment of truth 5 Enquire diligently 252 6 Walk answerably 252 Quest 6. What waies God hath left us in his Word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons 253 Some generals premised The answer comprised under two heads 1 Ecclesiastical 255 2 Civil 255 Ecclesiasticall are 1 Fraternall 257 2 Pâ—stâ—â—all 3 Judiciall 1 Congregationall 1 Admonition 258
of the seduction Which is set downe in two things 1. They shall come it my name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is read in my name Calvin reades it sub nomine mee under my name they shall use my name as their colour or pretext the better to set off their errours and there is great danger in that they shall come in my name not that Christ sent them not that they had Commission and authority from him as the word is used otherwhere but they shall come under pretence of my sending in my name as if I had sent them and that is danger No greater danger of being deceived then when men come in Christs name 2. They shall say I am Christ Why but what danger of deceiving them in that that was so grosse an errour it was so obvious to them who had received Christ and knew him that there was no danger of being deceived by such impostors But yet here is the danger 1. They shall not say they are Christ personall but Christ doctrinall they shall say their opinions are Christs mind Christs will Christs doctrine If they had said they were Christ personall then how could they come in Christs name they could not say they came in his name and yet say that they were Christ and therefore I conceive that this is spoken of their opinions that they were to hold forth that they shall stamp them with the name and authority of Christ which yet are contrary to Christ And this makes the danger the greater 1. They shall come in his name they shall pretend they have Commission from Christ Christs authority that Christ sent them 2. They shall pretend their opinions are Christs mind his will And when that a deceit is fathered so high when an errour doth claime Christs patronage and comes cloathed with such authority when it is held forth under such colours there is great danger of deceiving those who are simply honest And therefore it hath been the policie of Antichrist and of all who have been the patrons of errour either in doctrine or worship to hold out their opinions and doctrines upon the highest pretences to make men more willingly to close with them and swallow them And opinions so handed to us come with great advantage Well then seeing there shall be many seducers and they shall prevaile to seduce many and seeing there is such danger of seducing others also in regard they come with such specious pretences giving out that I sent them that they have Commission from me and the opinions they hold forth they are my mind and will therefore take heed that no man deceive you Beza in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man seduce you so the word speaks whence planus in Latin is taken pro impostore It is a word doth properly signifie to be inticed out of the right way into woods and groves in which there is danger As a thiefe doth allure the travellour out of his way into woods and groves that he may rob and kill him so the Devil who is the grand impostor doth indeavour to draw men out of the way of life that he may robbe them of their graces and murther their soules And therefore take heede that no man seduce you for many shall come in my name I have the larger insisted upon this that I might in the laying down the parts of the text convay the meaning of the words to you also Now we come to the Doctrines 1. That there shall be many seducers many erronious opinions before the end of all things 2. That these seducers and seductions these deceivers and deceits shall carry faire pretexts the seducers shall come in Christs name and their seduction shall be given out to be the mind of Christ 3. That many shall be seduced and carried away with them They shall deceive many 4. That the Saints had need themselves to take heed You see the ground many are deceived and the danger they shall come in Christs name and say I am Christ As we use to say we are never deceived but by those whom we trust such as make shew of honesty a knave cannot deceive us for we trust him not But now such who have shew of honesty they may easily deceive because we never mistrusted them we looked for all good from them and thought of no deceit So there is greatest danger of deceit when opinions come with glorious bâ—ites and shewes if men came in their own name and gave them out for their own opinions we should mistrust them for every man is a liar the best know but in part but when they come to us under the authority of Christ and are handed to us for the truths of Christ here is most danger of being deceived And the errours in our time had not prevailed with so many if that the seducers had not been so sacrilegious as to make Christ the patron of them if they had not baited the hooke with such a glorious bait if they had not said they came in Christs name and held out nothing but Christ and the truth of Christ Wolves indeed in sheepes cloathing But I speake not of all God forbid some that say so of whom I shall be tender in the discourse though their opinions may not be received But I will not anticipate my discourse We begin with the first doctrine propounded and it shall be the whole I shall insist on And we will give it in these words That there shall be many dangerous and erronious opinions at the end of the world Doct. which shall seduce and carry away many It was here foretold in prophesie and it is fulfilled in our dayes I need not speake to the truth of it it is plaine enough he that runs may reade it I shall therefore omitting that indeavour to cleere these things 1. I will shew you how this may stand with Gods ends with Satans and with a mans own ends that there should be erronious opinions 2. What are the grounds of so many abounding errours 3. Why so many are carried away 4. Who are those that are in danger 5. What are the Examens touches or trials whereby we may be able in these dayes of dispute to cleare what is errour and what is truth 6. What wayes God hath left in his word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erronious persons And I shall desire so much from you being a seasonable discourse that you would lend me your attention till I have finished it and then I doubt not but as it may be a check to the greedy entertainment and confident broaching of opinions so it may be a help unto those that are in the darke and in some measure inable them to see their way cleare before them and settle them in these unsetled times and through the like blessing of God those who have been carried away may be reduced out of the wayes of errour into the paths of truth And if that be the
heads but not into their hearts into their understandings and not into their affections will now certainly in this time of temptation foregoe the truth even truths professed truths preached truths contended for formerly The head is no safe casket to hide and lay up truth in it is easily stolen away if lodged in no safer a place But now if you have entertained it with love you will maintaine it too you may as well take away their hearts as take away their truth it is lodged there nay this love hath changed the heart into the nature of it truth doth so where it is received with love And hence it is that Gods people they have a rising of heart against errour when they want an argument against it and they have a love to truth when they cannot maintaine and dispute it As you see the Martyrs in Q Maries dayes they could say they could burne for Christ though they could not dispute they were notable to maintaine the truth with their heads but they could with their lives they could not give them reasons against their errours but they could lay down their blouds As a godly man said once he would desire no other confutation of Arminius but the work of regeneration 〈◊〉 any holy heart there was in every disposition of a gratious heart a reall confutation of all his tenents 3. God would hereby sift your Zealâ— whether or no you will contend for the truth as you have it exprest it Jude 3. Eâ—arnestly contend for the faith which was onâ—â— delivered to the Saints God will now try whether you will contend for the truth Rev. 1.3 or whether you will beare with them that are evill Thus God tried the Church of Pergamus Rev. 2.14 15. and he blames them for their lukewarmenesse that they had no more zeale to oppose those errours which were vented in their times Gods people though they be little when they be to deale with God dust and ashes as deale for God and they will not brooke with errour You see the hot contention between Paul and Barnabas Paul and Peter what zeale and affection Paul did shew for God and all was because they did not walk according to truth as you reade Gal. 2.10 11 12 13 14. As Moses would not yeeld to Pharaoh not in a hoofe the Orthodoxall Christians to the Arrians not in * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a letter an Iota a title nor Paul to the Jewes no not for an houre so the soule who is zealous for God he cannot brooke with errour nor can he yeeld to any thing contrary to the truth of God 4. The fourth grace God would sift is our Stabisity whether or no we are bottom'd and grounded in the truth whether we have that full assurance of understanding Col. â— 2 whether we are established in the truth or whether so unfixed and unstable that we are carried away with every wind of doctrine of such the Apostle speakes of Ephes 4.14 Many Christians that are as 't was said of Râ—uben Gen. 9.4 as unstable as water that are found according to the vessell which doth containe them poore Christians that are up and downe not only weake in knowledge but they are fickle in their understanding like soft wax now receive this impression this stamp but are ready to receive another when ever it is impressed And this doth arise not only from weakenesse of the understanding but want of firmenesse of understanding from inconstancy of spirit Now opinions will try your stedfastnesse see how you are setled how you are bottom'd when a streame comes you know it takes away what ever lies loose upon the banks but those things which are setled trees and such things that are rooted it cannot stirre men that are not rooted in the truth are in danger to be carried away with errours they are like loose things upon the banks but such as are rooted and grounded they abide nothing shall move them from their stedfastnesse But are all those that abide rooted Object No. There are many who are rooted in sin and errour Answ that are not moved men may be fixed in errour as well as firme in the truth their fixednesse as the others unsetlednesse is their sin 5. The fifth grace God would fift and that is your Sincerity your grounds your ends upon what grounds you have entertained truth and for what ends Oh there are many in the world that doe adhere to truth upon easie grounds upon poore reasons low considerations Some that have entertained truth only by tradition they were borne in these places where Religion is established and therefore are of this Religion and if they had been borne in Turkie had they no better principle they would have been of that too Some that have entertained truth meâ—rely for gaine and doe adhere to truth as the Ivie to the tree not because it loves it but because it is nourished by it Others upon other grounds because their Fathers their friends were thus of this mind Others because such Learned men and great ones are of this mind they pâ—â—ne their fâ—â—le 〈◊〉 their sleeves the Jews but this argument which of the â—â—â—lers beleeve in him Others because of other grounds 〈◊〉 John said to the elect Lady whom I love for the truths sake They often love the truth so the Ladiâ—â— sake 〈…〉 other respects Now at such a time as this when errour have been a bread if there be any grounds upon which you have entertained truth but meere love to the truth you will never hold out If you have entertained it upon other grounds or doe close with it upon other ends then such as are sincere you will never hold to it God will try your ends what ends you have in adhering to truth if it hath been for the world it may be as much of the world shall be propounded to you in a way of errour and then you are gone He that will serve God for the world will serve the Devill for the world he that will for bye respects close with truth will for the same respects if they weigh down the other close with errour if they doe but outballance them if more weight be cast in he is gone He that serves God for a little will serve the Devill for more where he can mend his wages he will give his service Errours are great trials of our sincerity what our grounds and what our ends are if you have entertained truth meerely for corrupt grounds its possible you may mend your selves by entertaining of an errour and then you are gone And therefore to discover sincerity God permits errours in the Church as you see it 1 Cor. 11.19 I heare there are divisions among you and I beleeve it for there must be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest and as they try so they doe discover our sincerity to our selves to God to others by which meanes we are approved And this is the
make his people keepe more close to him and more close to his word these we put together though they are two things 1. To keepe more close to him for counsell instruction direction who is the Prophet of his Church who hath undertaken to leade and guide his people into the wayes of truth to guide us with his counsells and this makes a soule to keepe close to God to lie at his feet for instruction and direction it brings a man to immediate dependance upon God 2. To keepe us close to the word the written word of God that our faith may not be built and founded on man but God In pictures the further you goe from the originall the moâ—e unlike they grow if you draw a picture by the originall by the person himselfe it may be something like but draw another picture from that picture though it may be like the picture yet it is lesse like the person and the further you goe from the originall the more unlike it is that if at last you come to compare the picture with the person though one picture might resemble another yet the last picture was nothing like the person now there is no way to rectifie this but bring this picture to the person to the originall and there upon comparison with it to mend it We have had too much of this divinity in our times first we have drawne plat formes out of the word then built upon them and drawn deductions and consequences from them and then consequences from those consequences till at last they be nothing agreeable to the originall the word of God Now God suffers errours to arise most of which will be found to be bottom'd upon false deductions and consequences drawne out of the word many opinions built and fastned on them And God suffers this to bring us back to the originall the word of God that there we might rectifie all We have taken up too many things on trust and our faith hath been too much built upon man the judgements writings and opinions of men which are but sandy foundations God whips us from it now by suffering so many errours to arise and all this to bring his people to the word to live upon the word that our faith might be resolved into God and not man Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them 4. A fourth mercifull end God suffers it to commend his love to them in preserving them from the poison and infection of errour to give you a tast and experience of his goodnesse in keeping of you that you are not carried aside with the wayes of errour And this doth exceedingly take the heart and raise it up to praise him Oh saith the soule Lord others of greater parts and greater abilities thou hast suffered to be led away and carried away with errour how comes it that thou hast preserved me This sets off and commends Gods love and raiseth up the heart in praises 5. A fifth mercifull end to discover to us that it is not by our own strength we stand but by the strength of Christ As we are kept in grace so we are preserv'd in truth and the Apostle tells us We are kept by the mighty power of God through faith When you see errours to abound and see them prevaile with so many others men of greater parts and abilities when you reade that they shall prevaile with them that shall perish oh this makes the soule keep close to Christ and herein doth God discover it is not our strength but his whereby we are preserved in a way of truth and kept from errour 6. A sixth mercifull end to make us prize truth more while we live nothing doth so much inhâ—nch and raise the esteeme of truth then errour It may be before you had low esteemes of the truths of God you did not value them and priâ—e them as you ought you cast them aside but now you take them lay them up hide them in your hearts you value of a truth as your best riches your honour your treasure the comfort in life and support in death When there are many false pearles false stones abroad it will make men gather up the true ones and if he have such to value of them When there is much counterfeit and light gold abroad it will make men to value of good gold you shall see good gold such as hath abidden the touchstone it is all gathered up and preserved at such a time as this is So when errours are abroad truth is then of value oh then every truth is entertained Before truth was looked upon but found little entertainment if it got any it was in our houses in bookes or in our heads only but now it finds welcome and entertainment in the heart Naked truth suffering truth persecuted truth it is now entertained truth is welcome any way And it is now own'd in the authority of it in the Majesty of it as a King to rule and governe us we will not rule it no more but it shall rule us It is own'd in the latitude of it in the extensivenesse of it extend it as farre as you will its welcome in its largenesse it is own'd in the universality of it all truth such as makes against you as well as such as makes for you they make for you in that they make against you for your soules though against your sins If ever truth be valued if ever it appeare worth something it is at those times when errours abound You see how the many false relations abroad doth make men value of a true relation if they can meete with a friend or a booke that speakes true and impartially they value much of it and what 's the reason because of the false relations abroad this heightneth the esteeme of truth So here the many errours abroad is a great meanes to heighten and advance truth and to make that great And therefore God doth permit errour to advance truth that truth may be more glorious in it selfe and more glorious to us 7. A seventh mercifull end which God hath in suffering errours and erronious opinions to abound is to make his people watchfull and wary of what they doe receive There are many glorious truths to be revealed towards the end of the world great things are spoken of the latter dayes for glorious revelations of the truths of God And there is many dangerous and fearfull errours that shall come abroad at that time too as Christ doth here foretell And it is a greater mercy there should be many then if there were but few if there were but few we should take them in with truth but being many divers of all kinds it makes the people of God watchfull and carefull what they entertaine There are so many truths now to be made known at the end of all things that if there should not be many
inticement not by demonstration they inveagle they doe not informe the understanding they perswade by inticing and not by evidence and reason A man may well suspect those opinions which are wrought upon the understanding by the affections and not by demonstrations the affections often inveagle the understanding sometime inforce it sometime they bribe somtime they threaten the understanding into an opinion its dangerous for the affections to work upon the understanding The lesse the understanding hath to deale with the affections in judgement of truth or errour and the lesse the affections with the understanding the safer and clearer is the judgement A man may well suspect those opinions which are wrought upon the understanding by perswasions and not by demonstrations The Philosophers used to say that to win the understanding by gaining first into the affections is to woe the Mistris by the maid Affections are to attend and serve the understanding and not to inforce it they are not to tell what is truth but to follow the understanding with love and delight in the embracing of it Suspect that for truth that you are threatned or bribed into And so much for the second ground 3. A third ground of credulousnesse is the similitude and likenesse which errour may carry to a truth of God you must know that though Gods people may entertaine errour yet no damning though defiling errours nor doe they entertaine any errour as an errour but under the notion nay apprehension that it is a truth and there is such similitude which an errour may carry to truth that they may entertaine it without debating and examining of it I told you from the 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. That Satan might transforme himselfe into an Angel of light and so may represent errour under such a shew of truth that it is not for every one to distinguish between that and truth There was never any errour set on foote but it was indeavour'd to be grounded on the Scripture the word is pleaded on all sides and many places alledged which may seeme to afford strength even to false opinions by which an errour may be represented to them who are not able to discerne as if it were a truth There are but few errours in our dayes but they carry some resemblance of truth with them at least the face and appearance of truth nay but few but have some ingrediency of truth in them and therefore carrying such a resemblance with truth looking upon the first view like a truth the best may be deceived with errour instead of truth if they take things on trust though this deceit shall not be an undoing deceit if it be not an undoing errour and that Gods people shall never be given up unto We say though error fortunae a mistake in the estate doth not cause an anullity in marriage yet error personae the errour of the person doth if you were married to one whom you tooke to be another person this doth cause an anullity in the marriage The entertainment of truth or errour is a kinde of marriage between the soule and it and there is a firme marriage between corrupt hearts and errour but the contract which is between a godly man and errour is a false contract and therefore that claime which errour hath to him is a false title because though it be an errour yet he entertain'd it for a truth and therefore it shall not damne him though it doth for the present defile him 4. A fourth ground of the credulousnesse of the godly their facile and easie beliefe it is the high and specious pretexts which an errour may carry Errour may beare as big a saile and hold up as high pretexts as truth it selfe and this may prevaile much to the entertainment of an errour this is a great advantage which errour hath It may hold forth the same authority beare it selfe up upon the same bottome it may pretend holinesse the glory of God the good of our soules c. and what not Doe not the Papists hold forth the same authority for their errours which we doe for truth doe they not perswade to the entertainment of them by the same arguments will they not tell you that these are for the glory of God for the good of your soules Was it not the usuall argument of the hierarchy for their superstitions and humane inventions for their Altars and Jesu-worship and bowing towards the East with the rest that all this was to declare our reverence humility c. in coming into Gods presence it was for the glory of God c. And are there any errors now that carry not as high as fair pretexts as specious shewes Who doth not say loe here is Christ and here is Christ who doth not challenge patronage from Heaven for their severall opinions who doth not stamp their opinions with the authority and minde of Christ Is it not that which Christ doth here foretell they shall come in his name that is they shall pretend to doe so they shall pretend his authority and commission and they shall say I am Christ they shall pretend that that which is held forth is the minde of Christ which sets out the danger of the temptation such an errour comming with such high and specious pretexts being held forth with such authority may prevaile much towards the entertainment of it In our dayes if we looke upon the present contentions of the times the cause now on foote and acting sadly with the sword doe not our adversaries hold up the same pretences doe they not speake in our own language doe they not say the same things that they fight for the Protestant religion Liberty of the subject Laws of the Land and if we take all on trust how daÌ„gerous to be deceived When the Pirate hangs forth your own colours there is danger of robbing The Crokadile sheds teares when he hath a minde to shed bloud the foulest designes are often masked with the fairest pretences the spiders webb is full of art but she her selfe is full of venome you may truly suspect most venome where you see most art There is not any bad cause nor any errour but is handâ—d to us under faire pretexts and specious colours which wins many and that 's the fourth ground 5. A fift ground why men are apt to take opinions upon trust either because they cannot try them they want knowledge and wisedome to examine and try them or they want judgement to determine upon triall either they cannot or they are unwilling to put themselves to the trouble in the triall of them But I passe this We have done with the first ground why men are carried away with errours and that is weaknesse 1. Weakenesse of understanding 2. Want of stability 3. Too much credulity and I have given you the severall grounds of these also We come now to the second generall ground why men are carried away with errour The second ground and that is wickednesse A
second ground men are carried away with errour the first was incident to the godly this is proper to the wicked only A godly man may entertaine an errour out of weaknesse of head but not out of wickednesse of heart A godly man he entertaines an errour with honest affections and to honest ends and a wicked man entertains a truth with corrupt affections and for corrupt ends He is carried naturally to errour he is nothing else but darknesse and errour but he goes not to truth without a byasse To that which is evil he hath a naturall motion a principle within carries him but to that which is good he is mooved by weights either feares or hopes Naked evil he can close withall but truth must have a baite else he hath no heart to it Godlinesse is no gaine he thinks uâ—lesse he can make a gaine by godlinesse as he will forsake truth to preserve his estate so he will entertaine errour to gaine an estate men will make all serviceable to that which is their God Mammon is his God and therefore all is serviceable to that he will either wave truth or embrace errour upon this ground to advantage himselfe We say all other desires they are serviceable to the great desire Caeterae cupiditates ingenti cupiditati subservient what ever is a mans master-desire all the rest are servants to it as all other lusts they are serviceable to the master-lust c. Now Mammon the world is his master-desire and therefore all other vailes to it and serves it To be short he is a man who mooves not out of himselfe selfe is the spring and principle and selfe is the end of all his motions When he receives a truth he will aske what it can doe for him before he bid it welcome and so when he entertaines an errour here is the difference some truths he will not receive upon any termes and those he doth entertaine they shall bid high and offer largely before they shall be welcome but now errour shall be entertained at low rates even at any hand he will not stick with it it is his friend his flesh and bloud Corrupt men they seldome scruple errours but they scruple entertainment of truth I have heard some to scruple to goe to prayers in their family and they say Where have we a word for it its superstition and will-worship and yet they have never scurpled to drinke to bezzle Some who never scrupled to sweare oathes enough but yet scruple a religious oath The Jews scrupled not to murther Christ but scrupled to have him hang on the crosse because of the preparation to the Sabbath Mens scruples of conscience are oftentimes the punishment of their loosenesse of conscience I shall proceed no farther upon this It would be endlesse to set down the many grounds which corrupt hearts have for the entertainment of errour And because I have spoken already much to this purpose upon a former inquiry I shall therfore shut up this and come to the next question propounded which is the fourth generall laid downe Quest. 4. Who those are that are in danger to be carried away and led aside with errour Before I come to give a full answer to this we will premise three or foure things which may be serviceable to the more cleere and distinct answer 1. There is no man can plead immunity from all kinde of errours there is not a man but is in danger to be led aside with some errour or other as we say of sin â—in atham asher lo jechate there is no man which sins not so we may of errour there is no man who errs not There is no man on earth who hath an unerring priviledge an unerring spirit no not all men on earth together not Fathers Synods Counsells but are subject to errour as is confessed by all and largely proved against the Papists that is the first that no man can pleade an immunity and freedom from any kinde of errour Nemo sine crimine nemo sine errore are alike 2. That even the best men are subject to the worst of errours I say the best men on earth are subject to the worst of errours Subject I say what 's that that is they are incident to them they are liable to them that 's something as our bodies are incident to all sicknesse so our soules to all sin and errour too But that is not all to be subject to errour is not only to be incident to it but be inclinable and that 's more A man may be incident to many sicknesses which yet he is not inclinable unto inclinablenesse doth not only imply a passive capacity in the subject but a prepared disposition As in hard wax there is a passive capacity but in soft wax there is a prepared disposition to receive the impression of the seale And in saying the best of men are in themselves subject to the worst of errours I do not only meane they are incident but inclinable they have not only a passive capacity to be corrupted but they have a prepared disposition as to sin in practice so to errour in judgement yet this inclinablenesse is not alike in all it is capable of degrees not as it is by nature for so all are equally corrupted but as some have improved their corruptions more then other some are more inclinable and some to one errour more then another 3. That though none can pleade immunity from all kinde of errours nay though the best of men may be subject to the worst of errours in themselves yet are the Saints secured from such kinde of errours by the grace of Christ though they are subject to all yet they are secured from some I say by the grace of Christ I have formerly told you from that 1 Cor. 3.10 that there was foundation-truths and building-truths so there are foundation-errours and building-errours damning and defiling errours all errours are defiling but all are not damning all are dangerous but all are not destructive Though the godly are incident to defiling yet Christ hath secured them from damning errours though they may be carried away for a time with sinfull and dangerous errours yet hath Christ fenced them from destructive and undoing errours And this I conceive expressed in these two places Joh. 10.4 5. The sheepe follow him for thâ—y know his voice but a stranger they will not follow for they know not the voice of a stranger This place by all Interpreters is taken for following Christ in doctrinall truths and it must be meant of necessary or fundamentall not of accessary and building-truths It must be meant of such doctrinall points as are essentiall to salvation and the being of godlinesse not to such which are lesse necessary and are only of the welbeing of a Christian for if you looke there even the sheep of Christ have followed the voice of a stranger embraced errour instead of truth as I could instance in all ages which hath arisen
travel over the births of many ages especially if former ages have been as pregnant as our present age is Besides the Apostle tells us Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in faith do not receive to doubtfull disputation and why so lest you should stagger him unsettle him trouble him and certainly if they are not to be received to doubtfull disputations they are not to go to them if it had been their duty to go it had been the others duty to receive them Indeed we are to search let not any prophane loose carelesse secure atheist think I give indulgence to his lazinesse and security Let not any think I go about to patronize or countenance their carelessenesse You are to search God is revealing glorious things in the world many precious truths come masked to you under the notion of errour and many errours may be handed to you and seem to borrow the name of truth we had need to search we had need to pray we had need of a discerning spirit Only this take the measure of your own strength and put not your selves to difficulties above your measure if you meet with difficulties in these knotty times be not too swift to conclude make not your conclusions before your premisses are framed A man may be too soone in an errour too long out of a truth but that man is in a truth too soon who embraceth it in his affections before it be made evident to his understanding who entertains it before he can in some measure maintain it who concludes before he hath cleared That cannot be good judgement that is passed before evidence is brought in Nor that can be no orderly receiving of truth before which there hath not gone discussion and search But I will proceed no further these are the foure things which I thought to premise before I came to the answer of the query 1. That no man can plead an unerring spirit an immunity from all kinde of error Consul misner de eccl p. 657 c. 2. That the best of men are subject to the worst of errours 3. That though they be subject to them of themselves yet are they secured from them by the grace of Christ 4. That the way Christ doth secure us is in the use of means We now come to the resolution of the Query viz. Who are in danger to be led awâ—y with errour Qu. Who those are that are in danger to be led away with errour 1. All such who have not retained the notions of God in a holy and pure heart A corrupt heart is neither a fit receptacle for the receiving nor fit house for the entertainment of truth A sinfull heart will not long be the house nor truth long a tenant there Indeed where truth comes and abides it comes not as the tenant but as the Landlord the Master of the house that will dispose and order of all according to his own rules Now this no sinfull heart can brook withall he would take in truth to be his servant but not to be his Lord he would close with truth to serve him but not to serve truth he would live on truth but truth shall not live on him to speak plain he would entertaine truth no further then it will maintain him this is a corrupt heart and will not long be the receptacle of truth such a man is in the high way to be carried away with errour He that will not be Gods servant shall be the Devils slave he that will not be a servant to truth shall be a vassal to errour As we say he that will not be under the soveraignty of Christ shall be under the tyranny of sin he that will not be under the command of grace shall be under the power of lust so he that will not be subject to truth shall be enslaved to errour you have something of this expressed in Rom. 1.21 25 26. Rom. 1.21 25 26. Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God c. for this cause God gave them up to vile affections 2. All such who have not entertained the truth with love of it men that take it into their heads to know but not into their hearts to love Truth hath rather a tyranny then a soveraignty over some men it awes many whom it doth not perswade it convinceth their understandings but doth not convert and turne their hearts their heart is up in rebellion against all their light their affections are in armes against all their knowledge and their spirits are not brought into a peaceable subjection to those things revealed And such men truth will quickly be weary of them or they of truth where the heart doth not close with truths reveal'd but still stands up in armes against it this man is in danger to be given up to a way of errour You have this in 2 Thess 2 9 10. 2 Thess 2 9 10. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie and be damned It may be God hath revealed some truths to thee and thou hast entertained them into thy head in notion but not into thy heart with love and affection here is light without heat thou hast no heart to embrace those things revealed may be upon examination thoâ— findest they will not suite with thy greatnes with thy interesâ— with thy hopes thy aimes thy ends and therefore cannot cordially close with them thou cannot deny thy selfe and become a servant to truth Thou art the man who art in danger to be given up to a way of errour 3. All such who have not walked sutable to those truths which God hath revealed to them It may be thou hast had many precious truths revealed to thee and thy corruptions would not suffer thee to walke sutable to them there is light in thy head but darknesse in thy life truth in the understanding but errour and sin in practice and conversation let me tell thee thou art in danger to be given up to errour Men that will not doe what they know shall not know what to doe men that will not follow the guidance of truth shall be led aside with errour Sinne in practice will bring in errour in principle Men of a bad life cannot long be men of a good beliefe 2 Thess 2.12 2 Thess 2.12 the Apostle tels us of such who were carried away with the deceiveablensse of errour who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousnesse If you know Gods will and will not doe it if God have revealed his minde to you and yet you will not square your lives to it if you will walke in waies that are not good notwithstanding God hath revealed the evil of them you are the men are in danger to be given up to errour 4. All such who have embraced and adhered to former truths out of partiall respects private
this passage Then doe we sufficiently know that the doctrine is of God when we perceive it to be propounded to us by our lawfull Pastor especiall a Councell assenting to it And if any will not rest here in the doctrine propounded but will try further and arrogate judgement over their judges and call to question whether those things are truths which are propounded by the Church by whom the spirit of God would teach us let such an one know he doth transgresse Gods bounds and the way and manner of trying of spirits commanded of God The same man saith further It is not fit that any private man should arrogate to himselfe to judge of the doctrines or opinions of his Priest Quic simpliciter omnes jubebantur sacerdoti de rebus controversis aâ—â—quid statuentâ— acquiescere Greg. Ecclesiae ministerio credimus simpliciter absolutè si ministri ecclesiae in aliquo dubio definiendo errarent populus Christianus errare posset imo deberet Stapl. because every one are simply and absolutely commanded to rest in the determinations of the Priest I will but name another who yet riseth higher We doe simply and absolutely believe the ministry of the Church And the people are so subjected to the sentences of their Pastors that if the Priest doe erre in any thing the people may and ought to erre in obedience of them So that you see if you aske the judgement of the Papists in this point you are in a poore case you are to stand to the determinations and definitions of Synods Councells without any doubt or examination whether they be true or no and that they might the better bring in this implicite faith and blinde obedience They tell you that they are infallible that you might the rather put out your owne eyes and be led by their light they tell you that they are unerring guides and in indeed if this were true the people might better shut their eyes and goe by theirs they might rather tye their boate to their ship follow the dictates definitions of them without either doubt or examination but they must believe the one that they cannot erre and then they must doe the other that is stand to all their sentences and determinations But we will passe this onely we shew you that they take away all power in any Christian man of judging or examining and prooving the doctrines which are propounded by their Councells and Bishops and doe require a blinde faith and obedience to them all saying that every particular person ought to stand to the determinations of the Church and to beleeve them to be truth because the Church hath an unerring spirit And this belief suits well with the people say they to believe as the Church believes for he that doth believe him that doth believe is not improperly said to believe though he know not what he doth believe An opinion which doth a Papistae in religione recipienda ethnicorum imo pecuduÌ„ more ducuÌ„tur beast men and denude them of all reason and what is of man in them Against which Luther speaks in these words b Hoc uno scelere meritos esse Praelatos Romanenses ut ex ecclesiae coetu tanquam lupi tyranni pellereÌ„tur Tom. 2. p. 375. Qu. Who are to examine opinions For this one wicked opinion viz. that absolute dominion which they claim over the faith and consciences of men the Roman Prelates deserve to be driven out of the number of the faithfull as Wolves and tyrants And under this censure we will leave them and come to the answer of the Question Qu. Who are those who are to examine opinions You have heard what the Papists say viz. that none ought to doubt of or examine the opinions definitions and determinations of the Church Before we come to give you our answer we will premise some distinctions as touching examination 1. First then there is an examination in foro publico or externo And 2. There is an examination in foro privato or interno that is 1. There is a publike and authoritative examination 2. There is a private and Christian examination Or 1. There is an examination in reference to publike censure 2. There is an examination in reference to private settlement The first is authoritative and is that which comes up to that which Divines call judicium ministeriale or ministeriall judgement which is when many Ministers are authoritatively called convened and met together there they are not onely inquisitors and examiners of opinions but Judges that is ministeriall and subordinate Judges or determinators of doctrines and opinions and may passe censure upon such opinions as are found erroneous And of this kinde is conceived to be that great solemn convention of the Disciples and Elders Act. 15. Where there was an examination and debate of things and thereupon a passing of censure and judgement And of this kinde were those ancient and famous Councels and Synods in the Primitive times of the Church famous against those errours and heresies in those daies And this is the first kinde authoritative examination 2. The second is a private and conscientious examination of opinions in a mans own Court the Court of conscience whereby a man doth try and debate whether those things which are prescribed or those things which are preached written c. be truths and agreeable to the Word of God And this doth amount to that which Divines call judicium discretionis or the judgement of discretion in which men have power to examine debate and to passe judgement in reference to their own practice and walking Every man is not only to be an inquisitor or examiner of all opinions nay of the definitions and determinations of Councels but he is to judge of them and this he ought to doe in respect of his own practice though his judgement is not binding to others or concerns not others no further then others shall finde that there appeares truth in it Now having premised this I shall come to the answer and passing by the first leaving it to another place viz. authoritative examination We shall only deal with the second and say That every Christian who hath care of his salvation ought to examine not only private opinions but even the sentences definitions determinations of Synods of Councels and to bring all to the rule of faith the Word of God the true touchstone of doctrines and to receive them and reject them as they are conceived to be agreeable or disagreeable thereto This position that we have here laid down in answer to the question I shall 1. Cleare it by Scripture 2. Confirme it by argument And 3. Strengthen it by the testimonie of Divines against the Papists And 4. Answer objections and so goe to the second 1. I shall clear it by Scripture and you have one here in the text Mat. 24.4 Take heed that no man deceive you c. 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast
that which is good 1 Joh. 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone forth into the world So that you see the truth clear in Scripture That it is the duty of every one to examine not only private opinions but even the sentences definitions and determinations of Synods of Councels themselves and to receive them and reject them as they are evident to be agreeable and consonant or dissonant and contrary to the Word of God But against these places the Papists object Object That those commands of proving Praedicta mandata non ad omnes sed ad Doctores pertinent Bellarm. examining and trying of opinions doe belong unto the Doctors and Steers-men of the Church and not to all Answ First for that place in Matth. 24.4 though it may seem to be spoken to the Disciples yet are others alike concerned in it if the Disciples were to take heed much more others if the Disciples were in danger of seduction much more are others also who wanted that knowledge that light and illumination which they had And therefore there was greater necessity that ordinary men should take heed For the other place in the 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things It seems clearly that the Apostle did rather speak to the people then their Pastors for having before exhorted them to the due respect of those who were set over them vers 12. and that they should not despise prophesying he comes to admonish them that they doe not give too much as well as too little To despise prophesying is to give too little and to take all is said upon trust is to give too much It is to set up men in Gods steed It is to make masters of your faith in earth and therefore he exhorts prove all things and hold fast to that which is good And for that place in the 1 Joh. 4.1 It is evident the Apostle spake to believers in generall First in respect of his appellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children which appellation better suits with thâ— people then with the Doctors And secondly because he chargeth them concerning such as were teachers there are many false Prophets gone out and therefore take heed this seems the ground of his exhortation because there were many false teachers therefore they were to beware So that you see it 's clear in Scripture that it is the duty of believers to examine c. We will now come to the second thing propounded viz. confirm it by Arguments and we will put these Scriptures into an Argument which shall be the first Arg. If every beleeving Chistian be commanded of God to take heed to prove to try to examine doctrines then God would not have us to take things of trust to submit to the definitions and determinations of men the best of men without examination and search but this is the command of God to all Christians as I have shewed therefore All the doubt lyes in the consequence that if we be commanded to prove and try all things then God would not have us submit to any thing but upon examination and search And this is plaine for if we are to swallow all if we are to receive what ever is offer'd if we are to take all upon trust It is then impossible that ever we should doe these duties of proving and trying and examining before we embrace and therefore seeing God would have us to doe the one certainely God would have us to doe the other also viz. to examine things before we doe embrace them Obj. But this is spoken of doubtfull doctrine for that only needs tryall and proving but the doctrine which is commended by them who are in authority is manifestly good therefore are we to receive it without tryall this is Bellarmines Ans Were the doctrine that were prescribed good in it selfe yet if not evidently good it could not be received and it cannot be evidently good till it is evidenced to me to be established upon the Word and this cannot be till it have passed a scrutiny till with the Bereans we have search't whether these things are so or no Act. 17.11 This is certain doctrins may not be in se dubiae in themselves doubtfull and yet auditoribus dubiae incertae doubtfull to the people I say they may not be doubtfull in themselves and yet they may be doubtfull and incertaine to us and therefore we are not able to receive them though cleare in themselves and to others if not cleared to us And they cannot be cleare to us till we have tryed and examined them The doctrine that the disciples preached to the Bereans it was cleare in it selfe but yet it was not cleare to them till they had searched and examined it And if the doctrine of the Apostles were subject to tryall and they commended for their scrutiny and tryall of it much more any doctrine of man or any prescriptions of meere men and they deserve no lesse commendation who will take pains in the scrutiny and search of it 2. To the second part of the Objection viz. That the Doctrine commended by them in authority is manifestly good you know this is built upon a false foundation they say Councels and Synods are infallible they have an unerring spirit and therefore they say all their conclusions are good But we say Councels and Synods may erre * Et errore pâ—sse errasse coÌ„cilia certum est That Councels may that Councels have erred is certain and therefore their results in stead of being manifestly good may be evidently bad witnesse the results of the Councel of Neocaesariensis Doctores in Synodis congregati vel concilia sive particularia sive generalia sinâ— uti saepiuâ— in rebus fidei errarunt itâ— etiâ—â—num errare possunt Misner Praesbyteris in nuptiis bigami prandere non convenit quia cum poenitentia bigamus egeat quis erit Praesbyter qui propter convivium talibus nuptiis possu praebere consensum Post consecrationem corpus sanguis Christi est sensualiter in sacramentis manibus sacerdotum tractotur c. Confess Berenger errat apud Gratianum de Consecrat distinct cap 2. Consul Daven de judice normâ fidei p 136 usque ad p 142. Consul Misner de ecclesia pag. 615. usque ad pag. 744. which condemned second-marriages as a great sinne And the Roman Councel approved on by Nicolaus the 2d who concluded the reall presence in the Sacrament and in as grosse a manner as ever was viz. that after the consecration the body and bloud of Christ was sensually in the Sacrament handled by the hands of the Priests torn in peeces with the teeth of believers The like I might shew of the Councel of Laterens which is said for the greatnes of it to be an oecumenicall generall Councel who put in this as an Article into the Creed to believe that Christs body and bloud were
order and therefore the Papists say that if their Prelates are deceived the people ought to erre with them Populi vi regiminis und errare posse imo debere rather then dissent from them and they say it upon this ground because that men are bound to receive and embrace for truth what ever is prescribed by them and if so if it be their duty then though they embrace errour yet they cannot be justly charged because they did but their duty So that I say if it were mans duty to receive all without examination or search then would not God charge them with sinne who received errour from them in authority But God doth charge them Luke 6. If the blinde doe lead the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch So Lam. 2.14 The Prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee and have seen false burthens and causes of banishment And therefore we are exhorted to beware of such Jer. 23.16 Hearken not to the words of the Prophets that prophesie unto you they make you vain they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. And upon this ground you have it so often in the new Testament Beware of false teachers beware of the concision beware of such who doe come in Lambes clothing but within are ravening wolves Parisiensis hath a strange passage a Si seductor sub praetextu veri doctoris simplici alicui indoctâ— errorem aliquem impietatis praedicet Deus cor ejus avertet ne illi credat nisi hâ—c vel negligentia ejus vel alia culpa impediat Paris de legib cap. 21. If some seducer should come under the pretext of a true and orthodox Preacher and should preach some wicked errour to some simple and unlearned men God saith he would turn the heart of his people from believing his doctrine unlesse their negligence or some other fault of theirs were the obstacle and hinderance of it And Augustine hath a passage like it b NemineÌ„ excusatuÌ„ iri si seducatur per verba homlâ—um quia vocem ipsius Christi in sacris Scripturis audiri debuit August There is no man saith he that is to be excused if he be seduced by man to errour because saith he he ought to have heard the voice of Christ in the Scriptures c Nemo mihi dicat ô quid dixit Donatus quid Pontius c quia nec catholicis episcopis consent endum est sicuti fortè fallantur ut contra canonicas Dei Scripturas aliquid sentiant August de unit ecclesiae cap 20. No man shall say to me What said Donatus or what saith Pontius or Parmenianus or any mortall man there is no believing of the greatest Councels of the world because it is possible they may erre and deviate from the Word of God c. So much for the third Argument Why we are to examine all doctrins and that is in respect of Arg. 4 the facility of being deceived and the danger of seduction in things that concern our souls 1. The facility of being deceived if we doe not examine doctrines most men that are carryed away they are drawne aside for want of examination It may be they examine the quality of the doctors not of the doctrine they looke upon men and see them men of great parts and learning men of holy life and conversation men perhaps that know much of Gods minde and thereupon they swallow all that they offer they embrace all that they tender Consul Misner pag. 657. c. and never examine whether the things they hold forth be conformable to the Word of God Why the learnedst men the most knowing men the most holy men may be deceivers may leade thee away with an errour and therefore seeing such facility of deceit there is great need of examination Ne dum Evangelium sitiant venenum hauriant Lest while they thirst after the Gospell they drinke poyson lest while truth is their thirst errour may be their drinke 2. The danger of seduction what a sad and fearefull thing it is to be carried away with an errour to build hay and stubble upon a good foundation as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.12 13. It is dangerous to thy selfe dangerous to thy family dangerous to thy posterity it may be dangerous to thy soule too and therefore certainly there should be all care had before you doe entertaine or embrace doctrine Christians are not lightly to receive any thing that concernes faith and salvation they had need to try it and examine it over and over we are not to reject an errour ignorantly but rationally nor are you to embrace a truth till you have debated and examined it whether it be a truth or no an opinion perhaps may cost you your liberty your estate your lives and I would be loth to buy an errour so deare A man would be willing that it should be truth that a man should do so much for he had need to be assured of that and therefore there is great necessity now if ever that we should examine what is truth and not to take all is brought to us but to see whether it be agreable to the Word of God yea or no. Isa 8.20 To the law and to the testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Arg. 5 If we are to receive all that is presented without examination and search whether the things prescribed are agreeable to the Word of God then have men dominion over our faith then should we make men Lords and Masters of our faith But no man ought to have dominion over our faith 2 Cor. 1.11 It is that you see the Apostle doth abhominate there we have not dominion over your faith And it is that which Christ speakes against Matth. 23.8 call no man father and call no man master upon earth vers 10. Indeed we are commanded to be obedient to man Ephes 6.8 Servants be obedient to your masters according to the flesh and yet we are commanded againe not to be servants unto men 1 Cor. 7.23 The meaning is evident if you consider with me there are two-fold masters 1. Masters according to the flesh and masters according to the spirit We are to be obedient to Masters according to the flesh so farre as appertaines to the outward man in all outward things But of our soules and consciences as we have no Fathers Oportet nos ex ea parte quae ad hanc vitaÌ„ pertinet subditos esse potestatibus ex illa vero parte qua credimus Deo in regnum ejus vocamur non oportet nos esse subditos cuiquam homini Aug. so we have no Masters upon earth onely our Master and Father which is in Heaven And in this sense Christ speakes when he doth say Call no man Master and no man Father upon earth that is acknowledge none your supre me Master neither
pertinet subditos esse pâ—testatibus ex illa verò parte qua credimus Dâ—o in regnum ejuâ— vocamâ—r non oportet nos esse subditos cuiquaÌ„ homini Deo enim potius obtemperandum quam hominibus Aug. It behoves us in things which concern this life to be subject to higher powers but in those things which concern another life we ought not to be subject to any man that is commanding things evil for he saith it is better to obey God then man If then these things be true that we are not to obey those commâ—nds which are contrary to greater power Nor are we to obey when the command doth transgresse and exceed the limits and bounds of his power Then this is clear that when any thing is imposed either to be believed or to be done it is the duty of all to exâ—â—ine whether in the obedience of the commands of man he doth not transgresse the will of God or give more to men then is his due and proper alone to God Obj. 3. The faith of Christians ought not to be conjecturall and uncertain but certain and firm but when men lean upon the judgements of their own private spirits in admitting or rejecting doctrines their faith is uncertain because private men may be deceived but the judgements of Councels and Synods are unerring and infallible Ans For the first part of this Objection viz. that the faith of Christians ought to be firm and certain and not conjecturall or uncertain we freely grant It is a maxime in Divinity * Fidei nihil potest subesse alsum aut incertum Nothing uncertain nothing doubtfull or false can be the object of faith and this takes away their main ground It is then impossible that we should believe the determinations or definitions of Synods or Councels without examination because they may be false for they are not infallible they are not unerring as I have shewed they are but men and therefore their results and determinations doubtfull and therefore cannot fall under faith For the other part of the Objection That they who lean to their own judgements and not to the judgement and determinations of Councels their faith is doubtfull and uncertain I answer If by leaning to their own judgment be meant to adhere to what their own humane reason doth dictate to them in divine things then I say that their faith is doubtfull and false for mans understanding is no fit measure nor judge of divine truths it is above reason But if by leaning to our private judgement be meant adhering to that which an understanding enlightned doth evidence to be in the Word or adhering to that which the Spirit of God hath revealed and perswaded the spirit of a man to be the minde of God in the Word then I say that this faith is neither uncertain or false And therefore it is rightly spoken by a learned Divine * Is nititur proprij spiritus judicio quod illud sentit de rebut divinis quod ratio dicta c. Consul Morton Apolog. Cathol p. 2. l. 5. cap. 10. Turpissime falluntur papistae quod judicium spiritus privati spiritus divini ex multitudine potius aestimant quam ex origine Dâ—â— He leans upon his private judgement that judgeth of divine things what his own humane reason doth dictate but not he who judgeth of divine things according as the Spirit of God doth perswade him by the Word In this therefore the Papists are miserably deceived that they esteem that which one man judgeth to be the judgement of a mans private spirit but what a multitude and Councell doe determine that they call the judgement of the divine Spirit and so take up their judgement of a private spirit or divine Spirit rather from the authority of the determiners â—en from the truth of the tâ—ing determined rather from the multitude then from the originall of it when yet it may happen that the judgement of many even of a Councel may flow from a private spirit and the judgement of one single man from the Spirit of God a Patreâ— qui in Concilio Nicaeno putabaÌ„t conjugaleÌ„ societatem sacerdotibus denegandam sequebantur judicium privati spiritus unus Paphnutius qui desendebat rerum immaculatuÌ„ etiam in sacerdotibus bonorabilem sequebatur judicium Spiritus divini Ib. You see in the Councel of Nice who denied marriage-society to Ministers certainly they followed the judgement of their private spirits it was not the judgement of the Spirit of God and on the contrary unus Paphnutius one Paphnutius who defended against them all the lawfulnesse of marriage to Ministers and the bed to be undefiled followed the judgement of Gods Spirit Truth may be alone and not with a multitude one Paphnutius may have the truth and the whole Councel be in an errour Truth is not tyed to multitudes to learning nor to multitudes of learned nay holy men yet there would I seek it when at a losse To conclude this then 1. That man who doth embrace any doctrine or opinion because it is sutable to his minde and pleaseth his private spirit that man is led by his private spirit 2. Or that man who closeth with a doctrine because such and such doe teach it or such command it this is his own humane credulity and he acts his own spirit b Siquis credat aliquid per propter internum dictamen Spiritus divini judicium ejus per verbuÌ„ illuminantis informaÌ„tis is solus credit uti oportet Daven ib. But he that doth believe a truth by and through the inward dictate of the spirit informing his minde by the Word he is not led by his private spirit but by the Spirit of God Obj 4. But you see most Christians are so ignorant that they are not able to judge of Questions of faith they themselves will confesse they are not able to determine of such points Ans I grant there is too much ignorance amongst them who should know we may say with the Apostle Heb. 5.12 When for the time we might have been teachers of others we our selves have need to be taught what are the first principles of the oracles of God It is never enough to be lamented the ignorance even among them that are godly themselves c Non quaeritur quid rudes inertes Christiani facere possint sed quid pij fideles facere debeant Dav. But the Question is not here what those that are idle and slothfull can but what those that are godly and faithfull should Certainly they should be able to give an answeâ— of their faith they should be able to know the voice of Christ from the voice of a stranger they should be able to discern between meat and poyson between truth and falshood That is their duty and in some measure those that are believers are able in those points that are necessary to salvation Obj. But you will say that
doctrine or worship that certainly is the rule But to the Word doth God demit us and with the Word we are to consult in all controversies of faith we I say not only private men but Synods Councels and therefore certainly this is the rule whereby opinions ought to be tried c. I will but adde one Argument more Arg. 5. That which is the supreme Judge of controversies and opinions is sure the rule by which we are to try opinions * Davenâ— de jud nor 65. p. Vid. Whit. cont 1. q 5. cap. 8. per â—otum But the Scripture is the supreme Judge of controversies 1. It is full of wisdome and able to judge It is called the Word of wisdome 2. It is full of truth infallibly true It is called the Word of truth 3. It is full of power it is the authority of heaven thus saith the Lord and this authority Mencâ—â—h all disputes this puts an end to all controversies 4. It is the great Law-giver that which gives out all truths to be believed and all commands to be obeyed It hath alone supreme authority to constitute doctrine of faith and worship and therefore supreme authority of determining interpreting and resolving doubts which arise from them nay and God was infinitely wise to fore-see all errours and all doubts that might arise or that should arise and hath furnished the Scriptures with sufficiency to determine to convince to condemn appearing errours Consul Whitak cont 1 q. 5. c. 8. arg 10 1â— c. Quasi nos manâ—averimus taÌ„tâ— ante Prophetis Apostolis ut in libris suis nullâ— testimonia ponereâ—t quibus pars Donati ecclesia Christi esse doceatur Reynolds Confer c. 8 div 1. p. 461 462. It is one reason why our Divines say that no man nor coetus mortalium no company of men Synods Councels that can be supreme Judges of opinions because they are not able to fore-see what errours and doubts may arise yea and even out of their own determinations they determin of things only pro re natâ those doubts and controversies which doe arise in their time but cannot fore-see what may arise afterward but now God he fore-sees all he knew all that would arise and did furnish the Scriptures with sufficiency to determine of all doubts and to resolve of all truths necessary for our salvation I remember a passage to this purpose which learned Reynolds doth produce out of Augustine in his conference with Hart it is this St Augustine making mention how the Donatists hated him for preaching of the truth and confuting their heresie as though saith he we had commanded the Prophets and Apostles who were so long before us that they in their books should set down no testimonies whereby the Donatists might be proved to be the Church of Christ 5. It is that at which we are to enquire and with which we are to * Vbicunque locus ad disputandum constitutus fuerit saciaâ—â—s codices Canonicos praesto esse si quae proferâ—â— possunt ex utraque parte documentâ— post positis caeteâ—is â—â—mâ—â—â—tâ—â— ad inquisitâ—â—â—â— terminum perducamus Aâ—gust consult in all doctrines of faith and worship and not only we but Councels Synods they are to goe to the Word and to the testimonies and their judgment no further valid then as it is founded upon the sure foundation the Word of God And therefore it must needs be the supreme Judge Au â—â—antur deâ—â—eâ—io chartae nostrae proceâ—a in mediuâ— coâ—ex Dei audi Christum dicentem â—uâ—i veritatem â—oquenteâ— Aâ—g and by consequent the only rule whereat we are to enquire in all points of faith and worship Abundance more might be said of this point It is the great controversie which our great Champions have combated with the Papists in and the great truth which they held out in their generations Whitaker Reynolds Davenant in whom you may see more at large And it was not new to them it hath been the constant tenent of all the learned in all ages of the Church a Nolo argumento credas nostrae disputationi Scripturas interrogemus Apostolos interrogemus Prophetas interrogemus Christum interrogemus Amb. Doe not believe the argument and our dispute but let us search the Scriptures enquire of the Apostles aske of the Prophets enquire of Christ let them determine b Non adeo perdite confidens sum ut aufim aliquid affirmare quod sacrae Scriptura silentio praeterit Ego in sola divina Scriptura acquiesco Theod. Theod. I am not so desperately confident that I dare affirm any thing which the holy Scriptures have passed with silence I rest onely in the Word of God It is a devillish spirit to thinke any thing divine which is out of the authority of Scripture We will now come having setled the truth upon the Scripture to answer some Objections one or two only Object 1. That which doth receive divers senses and interpretations cannot be the rule whereby we should judge of opinions but the Scripture doth receive divers senses yea and it self is not able to tell which is the right and therefore it is not the supreme Rule and judge of opinions Answ * Scriptura non varios incertos sensus recipit Ex conditione rei affirmatae aut ex intentione affirmantis sed ex inscitia aut pertinacia detorquentis Daven The divers senses the Scripture receives is not from the minde of the Inditer but from the ignorance of the enquirers nor from the things affirmed but from the darknesse or perversenesse of the searchers I say it is not because the Spirit of God did give the Word ambiguously and doubtfully nor because the things affirmed are dark and doubtfull Consul Whitak Contr. 1. q. 5 c. 7. but because we are ignorant or slothfull or else perverse and wilfull Because the Rule may be bended the Scriptures wrested shall we therefore deny them to be a Rule to be the Scriptures some pervert the Scriptures saith Peter 2 Pet. 3.16 to their owne destruction and yet we know they are the word of life to Salvation The divers senses of Scripture do arise either from our ignorance or our perversenes or our corrupt affections oâ— our sloth that we doe not enquire and search we doe not compare Scripture with Scripture but it doth not arise from the minde and intention of the spirit nor from the nature of the things that are affirmed in it The ambiguity of Scripture * Non infringit judiciariam Scripturae authoritatem sed ostendit necessitatem spiâ—â—tus ilâ—inâ—ntis Daâ— Dicimus verbuÌ„ Dei non â—â—â—ilâ—ere judiciariaÌ„ authoritateÌ„ quia hoâ—â—â—â—nes ineâ—â—o re demeâ—si non sâ—mper inteâ—â—igâ—nt contrasâ—â— judicatum ess◠〈…〉 NoÌ„ liquidâ— percipiunt 〈◊〉 se daâ—â—â—tos â—â—encsententia verbidivâ—â—ni doâ—â—ec câ—ram Christo judice in novissimore statâ—â—niur aperâ—o libro câ—â—â—â—â—â—ertur Daâ—â—â—â—â— It doth not infringe the authority of the
Scripture but declares the necessity of the illumination of the spirit So much for the first objection 2 Obj. Another objection against the Scriptures being judge of opinions is this It is the worke of a judge so to declare his sentence that the one party may see he was in an errour and the other that he is in the right but the Scripture nor the Spirit of God in Scripture doth thus evince truth and convince of errour as to make the parties to know they are in truth or were in errour therefore the Scripture cannot be the judge of opinions Answ It is the worke of a Judge to declare the law to give his sentence declare his judgement and not to convince partyes It will be a hard thing to convince the loser that he is in the wrong Men who are given up to errour blinded with folly and bewitched with selfe-love in love with their owne opinions it is a hard thing to convince such that they aâ—e in an errour And shall we say the Word of God shall lose its judiciary authority because men in errour will not discerne of its judgement 2. Though they will not see now and be convinced yet the time will come that they shall see if not before yet at the greâ—â— day of account all things shall be made evident many that breake the lawes and are guilty of felony or of murther yet will not confesse to a petty Justice that he is guilty but at the Assize he is made evident and then he is convinced of it so however men sew fig-leaves and cover their nakednesse now will not confesse their error yet at the great day of Assize all shall be made evident and their mouthes stopped 3. I say that the Scriptures do sometimes so clearly evince truth and convince of errour that the parties themselves even in this life are convinced of it and cannot gaine-say or stand out against the evidence 4. I say againe if that the light and judgement and authority of the Word will not convince men of errour neither will any authority upon earth doe it * Quae controversiae siniri non possunt ex determinatione verbi divini neque finâ—entur unquamex determinatione cujuscunque authoritatis humane Daâ—en Qui ex scripturarâ—m lata sententia se victum non agnoscit nunquam agnoscet se victum ex sententia alterius judicis cujuscunque Daven Those controversies that cannot be concluded and determined by the judgement of the Word neither can they be determined and ended by any authority upon earth He that doth not acknowledg himselfe conquered by the evidence of Scripture will never acknowledge himselfe overcome by the sentence of any judge upon earth Give me leave to shut up what I have spoken in a word of application and I shall enter upon that enquiry Vse You see I have shewed you two things Who are to examine and by what rule to examine I have charged one upon you as your duty at all times It is the duty of every one to examine c. And I have given you here the rule by which you are to try viz. the Word of God This is the touch-stone It is not men not Councels not Synods much lesse the Pope whose unerring authority the Papists set above Councells But it is the Word of God which is the rule and judg a Theodor. histor Eccles l. 1. c. 7. In epist ad Innocent Epis 90. Inrer Epist Aug. and therefore by this the Councell of Nice both tryed and condemned the Arian Heresy by this the Councell of Carthage of Melevis of Orange tryed and condemned the Pelagian Heresy It is the speech of a heathen Philosopher b Qui ponit legem judicem ponit Deum qui addit hominem addit Bestiam he that makes the law judge makes God judge but he that makes man substitutes a beast instead And he gives this reason c Quia homines optimi distorquentur affectibus lex autem vacua est hujusmodi preturbationibus Arist because the best men are wrested with affections but the law is free of these perturbations If so much is to be given to humane lawes above the judgements of the best of men how much more to the divine the Law of God It hath been my work to clear this to you the Scripture is the rule Oh that now you had wisdome in the tryall you had need of wisdome to search to examine and need of wisdom to determine It is a shame to see how men sit as if these things did not belong to them Some are slothfull and will not enquire like Gallio they care for none of these things I have read of a Story of Henry the fourth of France who asking the Duke of Alva whether he had not observed the eclipses he answered no he had so much he said to doe upon the earth that he had no leisure to look up to heaven and there are many of this spirit who are so taken up and have so much to doe with the businesse of the world that they have no leisure to look up to heaven Some who enquire but sleightly and overtly they aske with Pilate what is truth but doe not take paines to finde it Others again who enquire but with corrupt affections which either bribe the understanding into errour or blinde the understanding that it cannot discern of truth Others that perhaps finde but either fear to own it or turn their backs on it as the young man in the Gospel Pelago se non ita coÌ„missurâ— esset quin quando liberet pedeÌ„ referre posset and you know what the King of Navar is said to speak to Beza that he would lanch no further into the deep then he might come safe to shore Men look upon truth as an ignis fatuus that leads them into boggs most men would entertain truth as a servant but few as a King they would own so much as might be serviceable to them but they will not own any more not so much as may master them so long as they may live on truth they like it but cannot away with it when it comes to live on them nay and live on the best of their comforts to live on their estates wives children possessions nay liberty and life c. this is hard And he that sees not truth his honour truth his riches truth his friends truth his liberty life that man will never own truth alone In the disquisition of truth in the enquiring after truth in these daies beware of a double spirit beware there be not treachery in thee beware of a double spirit beware of being byassed with corrupt affections c. Aske the way to Sion with your faces thitherward that is with resolution to goe it when it is revealed be not only willing to know but stand resolved to doe and when God sees you willing to doe he will make you able to know And so much shall serve by way
you study if you examine and be faithfull in your scrutiny God will reveal them to you also at least so much as is for your comfort and chearfull walking in the waies of God Fourthly I told you that accessory truths were either such as were evident and clear or such as were doubtfull and obscure The Question needs not to be asked of the first of these for those that are evident and clear of themselves every Christian may judge of But the Question will be of obscure and doubtfull truths * See Mast Reynolds on the 110 Psa p. 273 274. Of those which are doubtfull some are obscure respectu objecti rejectu subjecti Some are obscure in themselves and some are obscure not in themselves but to us If the Question be of such as are obscure in themselves who shall judge of Gods minde in them I say there are some truths which are beyond the fathom of the tallest understanding there are certain Abysses and depths that no man is able to sound no finite understanding can determine See Reynolds conf with Hart. p. 96 97 98. here we must fall down and adore fall down and admire the doctrine of the Trinity and of the Vnity of divine essence in the Trinity of persons the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ the hypostaticall Vnion of natures in one Person the doctrine of Predestination of the Jews rejection which was a depth to the Apostle himself over which he cries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.33 34. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out for who hath known the minde of the Lord or who hath been his Councellour In other truths such as were necessary the Apostle when he makes the same Query he gives this answer But we have the minde of Christ as you may see in 1 Cor. 2.16 Who hath known the minde of the Lord that he may instruct him or who hath been his Counsellour We have here the same Query but not the same answer he answers this Query We have the minde of Christ which is to be understood in things necessary In the other you see he makes the Question and leaves it without answer only cries out Oh the depth of the wisdome So that if the Question be of Doctrines in themselves obscure It is beyond man to fathom faith is our best understanding admiring and adoring our best knowledge But now if the Question be of such truths that are not obscure in themselves but obscure to us not to all but to some which are therefore obscure by reason of the imperfection of our knowledge c. It is the office of the Ministers of the Gospel to preach them and reveal them of Synods and Councels to declare them and of every Christian to study them to examine to search them out There are four waies that we are to goe in the finding out of truths doubtfull 1. Look into the harmony of Scripture see what the agreement what the concord of the Word of God will doe to help thee Consul Whitak cont 1 q 5. c. â— ubi de mediis inveniendi verum Scripturarum sensum Scripturae Scripturis conferendae fi quid in Scripturis recte intell gere volumus See â—eynolds c. 2. divis 2. p. 95 96. Faâ—eamur ergo necessâ— est justificationis nomen variè sumi nisi velimus exisâ—mare Apostolos à se dissentire pugnantia enunciare apud Jacobum ergo justificari idem valet quod justum declarari ac demonstrari apud Paulum verò justificari idem est quod à peccatis omnibus absolvi justumque apud Deum reputari Whitak loco citat many things seem to be truths if you look on one text alone that yet if you did but look upon the harmony of the Word would thereby be discovered to be errours For example St James saith Chap. 2. ver 21. Abraham was justified by works now if you look no further it holds forth this that we are justified by works for as the father of the faithfull was justified so all the children all believers must be justified and is this a truth then Certainly no. Why but how shall we know it we must compare Scripture with Scripture as for example in this point compare this place of James with Rom. 4.2 3. If Abraham were justified by works he had then somewhat whereof to glory for what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousnesse and therefore the one speaks of justification before men the other of justification before God the one of justification properly the other of declarative justification Study the harmony of Scripture see how one Scripture agrees with another and how this doctrine agrees with all Rom. 12 6 Analogia fidei nihil aliud est quam constans perpetua sententia Scripturae in apertis minimâ— obscuris locis quales sunt Articuli fidei in symbolo quaesque continentur in oratione dominica in decalogo c. Consul Whitak loc citat 2. Look upon the Analogie of faith whatsoever doctrine either directly or by way of immediate consequence opposeth the Analogie of faith is to be rejected as contrary to the platform of wholsome words that 's another way to finde out truth in doubtfull cases See the Analogie of faith look over your Creed the Lords prayer crooked things are discerned by bringing them to straight c. Many Doctrins would be found erroneous if they were but brought to the Analogie of faith That doctrine of Transubstantiation or rather monster of opinions which they would seem to build on Scripture This is my Body if it were but brought to the Analogie of faith you shall see at once it overthrows four severall Articles 1. The incarnation of Christ 2. His ascension 3. His sitting at the right-hand of God 4. His comming to Judgement for if Christs body be so often made of a peece of bread and in so many places at one time how can all this be The Doctrine of Christs kingdom and visible glory before the day of Judgement it seems to contradict another part of it he is gone to heaven sits at the right-hand of God and from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead So that nothing is between his sitting in heaven and his comming to judgement Alsted and therefore those that most rationally hold it doe say this Kingdom shall be in tempore judicij the time of judgement the Jews conversion and the fulness of the Gentiles are to be the morning of it 3. Look upon the concordant confessions of the Churches of Christ in all ages here is another way and certainly it doth afford a great deal of light and help in points and cases doubtfull this is not to submit my judgement and faith unto any authority of man but to goe to them who excell to be helpers
off the hearts of Gods people from spirituall and heart-warming truths then any controversie that ever was stirred up in any age of the Church I pray God there be not a temptation in it But to return Admit there be an exact government in the Word of God who shall judge what that is I told you there were the Essentials and Circumstantials of Government If the Question be asked of the first viz. Who shall judge of the Essentials I may say certainly of this point as well as of others there is a publike and a private judgement there is a ministeriall and there is a personall judgement It is the office of a Synod an Assembly to search to debate to determine and declare what they conceive is the minde of Christ in this and it is yours to prove to examine to judge of their results and determinations In which work as I hope they will be tender so I desire you may be humble neither to imbrace things with a blinde judgement nor to reject them with a perverse will And for Circumstantials If the Question be asked who is to judge of them I suppose it is granted on all hands that in those things God hath left us free and hath not determined and restrained us to any thing And where God hath left things indeterminate there is no Question but the Magistrate may determine you and you are to submit to those determinations And this shall suffice for this and for the answer to the Question Thus you see we have finished three of those Queries we propounded We come now to the fourth viz. Qu. 4. What are the Diagnosticks or marks whereby we may discover and discern of errour from truth and truth from errour When false Coyn is abroad if a man get a touch-stone whereby he may be able to try it and the skill in the use of it to distinguish between counterfeit and true he needs not fear being deceived I have told you there is a deal of false Coyn abroad and if you would not be deceived it was your speciall duty to try it I have shewed you the Rule and told you what is the touch-stone whereby you may try opinions And now I am come to give you the marks whereby you may be able in the use of this to discover and distinguish between truth and errour If a man have the touch-stone yet if he want wisdome to distinguish he may be deceived for all this So though you have the Word of God which is the touch-stone to try opinions yet if you want wisdom and skill to distinguish of touches you may be mistaken for all this And there is need of a great deal of skill an errour may give as fair a touch and make a fairer lustre and glitter then truth And therefore it shall be my work at this time through Gods assistance to lay down the marks whereby in this touch and examination you may be able to distinguish between errour and truth Now I must tell you before I enter on this work that as there are many false stones such as doe render errour truth and truth errour So there are many false marks by which if we should be guided we are sure to goe amisse It shall be therefore my chief work in this Discourse to reject the false and to discover to you the true And we will begin with the first of these viz. the rejection of the false marks which I will doe by propounding them in Questions and then giving answers to them and all this that they may have a fair tryall before they be condemned Qu. 1. Whether antiquity or the ancientness of an opinion be not a true Character of truth Answ There is no Question to be made of this but truth is ancient and that which is ancientest is truth Truth was before errour * Id verum quodcunque primum id adulterum quodcunque postremum Tertul. that is truth which is first and that is errour which is last And therefore you see it is Gods direction to us Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord stand you in the waies and see and aske for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and you shall finde rest for your souls But now in regard that Antiquity hath been the pretence for many errours and that we may not mistake in it there is a necessity of some distinction to be premised before we give the full answer Antiquitas est vel primaria vel secundaria primarâ—a est priâ—ae va cujusque rei oâ—igo haec â—o ta hoâ— tatis perfectionis est Secundaria antiquitas est eorum quae diu ante coeperunt c Et haec antiquitas veritatis nota non est Vid. Parker p. 156. l. 2. Consuetudo sine veritate vetust as erroris est Cypr. 1. Then there is a two-fold Antiquity a primary and secondary Antiquity Or things are said to be ancient in respect of Gods prescription or in respect of mens practice in respect of Gods institution and in respect of mens observation or if you will in respect of Gods command and in respect of mens custome And this will afford us this answer A. If antiquity be taken for Gods prescription for Gods command and institution then there is no Question but it is a certain badge character of truth But if you take antiquity for what men have anciently practised or observed for what hath been the custom of men and not the command of God then may it be an ancient a gray-headed errour That is not truly ancient which men have practised but that is true antiquity which God hath prescribed Antiquity of things is not to be taken from the customs and observations of men but from the commands and institutions of God * Veritas noÌ„ est tempore metiendâ— sed nâ—mine Hoc argumento usa est mulier Samaritana adversus Christum Patres nostri adorârunt in monte hoc nec falso nam referente Carolo Sigonio prius in Zilo quam in Jerusalem invocatum Dei nomen est Morton Apolog pag. 1. lib. 1. cap. 10 11. Truth is not to be measured by time but by revelation not by practice but by prescription not by custom but by command It was the errour of the Jews that they would follow the custom but they would reject the command You may see it in Jer. 44.17 18 19. We will bake cakes and burn incense to the Queen of heaven as our Princes and Fathers have done before us and they have an argument for this custom too for then it was better with us then now then we had plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evil but since we left off to doe this we have wanted all things we have been consumed by the sword and by the famine Just the same argument that men have for their customs now So the woman of Samaria she pleaded custom too against Christ Joh. 4.20 Our Fathers worshipped in
this mountain and you say that in Jerusalem men ought to worship Here she pleads a custom and one more ancient then the other only it wanted prescription which the other had Ancient custom without prescription will not hold The Pharisees they dealt the same way with Christ c. and Christ with them as you see at large Matth. 5. It is well spoken of Cyprian a Non debe mu◠attendere quid aliquis ante nos secerit aut faciendum putaret sed quid qui ante omnes Christus prior secerit Cypr. We are not to consider what others have done before us but what Christ who is before all hath done and commanded Custom without truth is but old errour b Non hominum consuetudinē sed Dei veritatem sequi debemus Cypr. epist 7. p. 156. We are not to follow the custom of men but the truth of God if men plead custome without prescription Antiquity without command we may say with Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christus nobis antiquitas Christ is our Antiquity He saith of himself that he is the way the truth and the life the truth not the custom c Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas advertendum est quod Dominus dicit Ego sum via veritas vita non dixit Ego sum consuetudo sed Veritas Aug. Veritati nemo praescribere potest non spatium temporum non patrocinta personarum non privilegium nationum ex his enim ferè consuetudo initium ab aliquâ ignorantia aut simplicitate sortita in usum per successionem corroboratur ita adversus veritatem vindicatur Tertul. It is that which learned Jewel urgeth against the Papists from that place Eccles 7.10 Say not thou What is the cause that the former daies are better then these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this 2. Qu. Whether the newness of an opinion be not a sufficient mark to discover it an errour For the answer of this I must also premise some distinctions 1. Things may be said to be new in respect of Gods prescription or in respect of mans invention 2. Things may be said to be new in respect of institution or in respect of restitution The Commandment of love it was called a new Commandment as Christ saith Joh. 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another This was not new in respect of its institution but in respect of its restitution * Non quia novum mandatum sed quia de novo redintegratum not because it was new but because it was renewed Many things are called new which yet are not so in respect of institution but in respect of restitution 3. Things may be said to be new in respect of Creation or apparition the moon is new not in respect of Creation but in respect of apparition Many things which appear to us to be new which are not new indeed 4. And this brings in a fourth distinction things may be said to be new in respect of being as a childe is said to be new-born because it never had a being in the world before or a thing may be said to be new in respect of observation a thing may be said to be in being before which yet was not observed nor taken notice of before There are many things which are not new in themselves which yet may be new to us many things which are not new in respect of being which yet are new in respect of observation Having premised this we will come to answer the Question Whether the newness of an opinion c. And I will answer this Question in these two Conclusions Conclus 1. The newnesse of opinion is enough to discover it an errour if it be new in respect of institution not if it be new in respect of restitution Institution of truth is only Gods work none is able to institute doctrine or worship but only God If there be no Word of God to clear it no Scripture to countenance an opinion it is to be rejected as a Chimaera a fancy of man But now an opinion may be new in respect of restitution and yet be a truth when the worship of God comes to be restored when doctrine comes to be cleared and setled this is not any new institution of doctrine or worship but the restitution of it it is not worship instituted but worship restored It is that worship which God hath prescribed in his Word already only now freed and cleared from the corruptions and pollutions of it Truth may be old in respect of institution and prescription though new in respect of the restitution and restoring of it as it was in Hezekiah's time and it was the work of Christ in Matth. 5. Conclus 2. The newness of an opinion is enough to discover it an errour if it be new in respect of being but not if it be new in respect of observation Indeed those opinions which are new in respect of being that have no foundation in the Word no being in the Scripture they may be rejected as errours but not such as are new in respect of observation there may be many precious truths which are new to us which yet are not new in themselves they are new in respect of our observation we never took notice of them before they were hid from our eyes yet they are not new in respect of their being Augustins doctrine of conversion that it is of grace and not of free-will was new in it's time though now generally received and then it was not new in respect of being the Scriptures are full for it but new in respect of observation men had not observed they had not taken notice of it before Luthers doctrine of justification that it is of grace and not of works was new also in it's time and he had a world to oppose him and crie it down for novelty but this was not new in it's being what doctrine have we more clear in the Word But it was new in respect of observation Calvins doctrine of predestination that it is of grace and not of faith and works fore-seen this was new in it's time though a clear and ancient truth It was not new in respect of it's being it is clearly revealed in the Word but new in respect of observation it was clouded with errours that men could not discern and take notice of it before This is certain that towards the end of the world as there will be the broachings of many errours so there shall be the discovery of many glorious truths as I have fully cleared to you I speak not this to countenance any errour that our times or after times shall set on foot but to take off prejudice that lies upon any doctrine or truth either newly or more clearly and fully discovered that they reject it not for the newnesse of it I have observed it in all ages Fama miratrix senioris aevi See Iewels
Sermon on Hag. 1.2 3 4. p. 171 c. that as the name of Antiquity hath been the pretence for many errours so novelty hath been the plea which men have used in all ages against the truths discovered in their generations Since God hath broken the Antichristian yoak which lay upon all the world there is scarce any generation which he hath not honoured with some new or fuller discoveries of truth See Iewel to the same Sermon Mark 1.27 Act. 17.19 Antichrist had corrupted all both worship and doctrine and there must be a time of clearing that which he hath corrupted and when that is done he shall fall for he shall be consumed with the breath of Chirsts mouth and God doth honour every age with something he reforms us by parcels and this hath been the prejudice against truth in all generations the novelty of it this hath been the plea that corrupt hearts have had against the truths of their generation they are new things when indeed they are not new in respect of their being but in respect of their observation Nay and from the beginning it hath been the same pretence that careless and Atheisticall hearts have had against the truths of God You see in Christs time and in the Apostles time when they revealed the will of God they judged all to be new What new doctrin is this that we hear they said so of Christs Mark 1.27 and the like of the Apostles Act. 17.19 Let us hear what new doctrine is this you teach And in after ages there was the same spirit in men they adhered to their old customs and their ancient waies and rejected what ever was contrary to them as new It was Augustins complaint a Hic est mos diabolicus ut per antiquitatis traducem commendetur fallacia This is the devils custom to commend errour to us for truth under the notion of Antiquity Custom without verity is the antiquity of errour Again b Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas c. adverterdum est quod Dominus dicit ego sum via veritas vita if you doe oppose custom to truth consider what Christ saith I am the way the truth and the life c NoÌ„ lixit ego â—um consuetudo sed veritas Aug. He doth not say I am custom but I am truth And besides him others have had the same spirits to conflict withall Cyprian tells those of his time Every custom although old and common yet is inferiour to truth and that custom which is contrary to truth is to be abolished Another hath these words d Religionis authoritat non tempore aestimanda est sed numine neque enim quo die sed quid colere caeperis in tueri convenit quod verum est serum non est Arnob. Quod nos agemus novum quod vos priscum The authority of Religion is not to be reckoned by time but by revelation nor art thou to take notice what day this worship began but what this worship is which began at that time that which is truth is not late The same Authour dealing with those which did plead Antiquity against truth he saith That which we say is new and that which you doe is old but what doth this help you or weaken us The authority of truth is not to be measured by time but by revelation And Tertullian dealing with the same spirits in his generation saith f Hereâ—es non tam novitas quam veritaâ— revincit quodcunque contra veritatem sapâ—t haeresis est etiam vetâ—â— consuetudo Tertul. Novelty doth not confute an errour but the truth what ever is contrary to truth doth savour of heresie even though it be the most ancient custom And Bernard tels us of the wicked tongues of men g Qui cum manifestâ—â—â—umen obnubulare noÌ„ queunt de solu novitatis nomine ca villantur Bern. Cons Park de polit ecclesâ—t 2. c. 20 p. 254 who when they are not able to cloud or darken the evident light they cavil at it for a novelty But in vain doe those alledge custom who are convincâ—d with reason reason is to be preferred before custom much more is truth and the authority of God I name these for this end to shew you that it hath been the spirit of corrupt mâ—n in all ages to reject those things which are contrary to their erroneous customs for novelties and new things And it is the same spirit which acts in men to this day they will rather adhere to an old errour then embrace a new truth I say such a truth as is not new in respect of it's being but only in respect of our observing I might instance in many things what if I should single out this one only viz. our Lyturgie It may be you will say this was composed by learn'd and holy men such as were Reformers in their time it was so but there was never any Reformation since defection to Antichristianisme but in time that Reformation hath been discovered to stand in need of further Reformation we know but in part and God doth reveal his will gradually not all at once The Church grows to perfection not all at once but by degrees and it may be they went as farre then as the times would suffer there is something implied to that purpose in the front of it they had a contrary stream to conflict withall being newly come out of Poperie And I know not whether is the greater wonder of these two that they went so farre then at the first jump out of Popery when so many to oppose them or that we never went farther since after so many years preaching of the Gospel to us Certainly they were holy men precious men in their Generation but yet not perfect men thou rejects their holiness and closest with their imperfections thou adherest to their imperfections and makes use of their holiness for no other end but to retain their imperfections such which if they lived in our daies themselves would disclaim They were holy men and I may say of thee as Augustine did to the Donatists who alleadged Cyprian to patronize them in their errour i Quod in Cypriano naevuâ— in vobis fuligo est c. Aug. That which was a spot in Cyprian is Tartarian darkness and smoak in you Or as another answered the Armenians who said they held the same things with the Fathers k Quod in patribâ—â— error in Armenis haeresis est That which was but an errour in the Fathers is a heresie in the Armenians Or as another speaking of the African Fathers l Patres Africani ex ignorantia deâ—epti suere voâ— vero ex malitia peccatis Nobis vero qui admoniti edocti sumus nulla ejusmoâ—â— indulgentia relinquitur Cy The African Fathers were deceived out of ignorance but you sinne out of malice theirs was the impâ—rfection of their knowledge but yours is the perverseness of your wils Or
holinesse of those who have been the Reformers and Institutours of such things And certainly it is a great advantage to an errour and prejudice to a truth the holinesse and loosnesse of those who are the maintainers and entertainers of it It is that which the Heathens alleadged against Christianity in the first times of the Gospel the sins of those who had received and made profession of it which the Apostle doth so often charge upon them that they caused the crosse of Christ and the Gospel of Christ to be blasphemed by their unworthy walking And it is that which the Turks doe say against the Christians at this day * â—cce quates suâ—t qui ChristuÌ„ colunt si bona discerent boni essent Christum legunt impâ—j sunt Christum oud â—nt inebriaÌ„tur Christum sequuntur iapiunt Sâ—l â—â—â—â— Behold the servants of the crucified God certainly if their way were truth their lives would not be so sinfull Insomuch that we may well say it is a great prejudice to the truth of God the disorderly walking of them that are the professours of it and it is a great advantage to an errour in the mindes of men the sanctity and holinesse of those who walk in it men are more led by practice then by rule by example then by argument by the eye then by the Word and this is their argument See their lives and by that you may judge of their opinions But we will come to the answer of the Question Whether the holinesse of those who are the publishers and receivers of an opinion be not a sufficient discovery that the opinion is a truth Before I answer give me leave in a word to distinguish of errour of truth and of holiness 1. There are fundamentall truths and building truths and so there is fundamentall and damning errours and dangerous and defiling errours all errours are not damning but all are dangerous and defiling 2. There is an appearing holinesse and a reall holinesse and so there is a religious strictnesse and a superstitious strictnesse one commanded of God the other taken up of man Now having laid down these two distinctions we will come to the answer and I will answer the Question in four Conclusions Concl. 1 Conclus 1. The appearing holinesse of those who hold an opinion is not enough to demonstrate it a truth A man may be in a dangerous I had like to have said damning errour and yet to the view of men appearingly holy Many men have put on a form of godlinesse and shew of holinesse till they have gotten strength and power enough to back them in their opinions and then they have discovered the venome of their spirits and let loose their spirits to those corrupt waies which their erroneous understandings did lead them to Arius as they write on him who yet held that damnable opinion against the Deity of Christ that Christ was not God he was a man in all appearance humble and holy insomuch that his holinesse drew many after him and those who received the opinion they were many of them of unblameable life and conversation but yet when they had gotten power on their side they acted their venome The like I might say of Nestorius Maniche c. And Arminius of late who in his time discovered much appearing holinesse and humility yet held dangerous errouâ—s It is the subtilty of Satan and the policy of the first promoters of opinions to difference themselves as much from others in life and conversation as they doe in judgâ—mâ—nt and opinion that so their errours might get more ground and finde better entertainment with others As the Pharisees made long prayers but it was to prey upon and devour widows houses they made the practice of holinesse but the cloak of their hypocrisie and the stalking horse to compasse their own ends So many doe walk in the waies of strictnesse but to set off their own wicked errours and advantage their opinions they know that an ill life will be disadvantagious to the receiving of their opinions and therefore put on a form of godlinesse but deny the power of it that they might the better advantage the reception of their errours But though some I say doe walk in a way of holines to set off those things which they know to be errours they put on a sheeps garment to deceive yet others though they be in an errour may apprehend it for a truth and with honest affections may walk holily to adorn their profession and make their doctrine more receptible in the hearts of others So that I say first the appearing holinesse and strictnesse of the maintainers and entertainers of an opinion is not enough to discover it a truth It is certain a man may be strict in an errour and yet a libertine in a truth though no truth doth make men libertines or countenance them in it yet some errours may make men strict strict I say not a religious strictnesse but a superstitious strictnesse strict not in observing the precepts of God but the traditions and prescriptions of men as the Pharisees were and many of the poor deluded Papists are And therefore no appearing strictnesse or holinesse can evidence an opinion to be truth I say appearing for you can goe no further you cannot difference between false and true between appearing and approved holinesse you know what Christ saith of them who justified themselves before men that is that walked unblameable before men That which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 Luk. 16.15 Concl. 2 Conclus 2. That a reall and approved holinesse is a sure note that the errour which they hold is not a damning destroying errour I say though the holines of those men that maintain an opinion be not a sure note that the opinion they maintain is a truth yet it is a certain evidence that it is not an undoing and destructive errour Christ saith That the elect shall not be deceived Mat. 24.24 Mat. 24.24 that is though they may be carried aside with some sinfull yet they shall not be drawn away with undoing errours And we have all the harmony of Scripture for that he tels us That they who doe his will shall know his doctrine Joh. 6.45 Joh. 7.17 Joh. 10.4 5 that we shall all be taught of God that we shall hear his voice and shall not follow the voice of strangers and that we have received an anointing of the holy One wherby we know all things Al which places are to be understood of necessary truths not accessory of truths that are essentiall and fundamentall not circumstantiall and it proves fully to us that God will never give up his holy ones to undoing errours That 's the second answer that holinesse is a sure note that the opinions which they hold though an errour yet it is not a damning and destroying errour Concl. 3 Conclus 3. Reall holinesse in the maintainers and
entertainers of an opinion it is a probable signe that the opinion is truth Indeed God doth not honour wicked men or men of corrupt hearts with the first discoveries of truth what they have they have from others A man may well suspect that opinion which a corrupt heart is the revealer of God reveals his hidden things to his hidden ones The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and the humble he will teach and guide in all truth as he tels us Psal 25.14 Psa 25.14 Other men have no promise of Gods making known his minde unto them nor are they under any condition for God to doe it But now the godly they are under a promise he hath said He will lead us into the way of all truth he hath told us we shall be taught of God and we are under the condition of such revelation for we are in Covenant with him and that 's one condition Jer. 31.33 Jer. 31.33 34. Isa 54.13 Joh. 15.15 Hos 6.3 34. We are his children that 's another Isa 54.13 We are his friends Joh. 15.15 We are such as seek him Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know he will reveal his minde to them that seek him And being under these gracious conditions we may expect that God should reveal his minde and truth to us So that is the third Answer Reall holinesse in the publishers and receivers of an opinion is a probable signe that the opinion is a truth I would not give too much to holinesse in this kinde for I am not to be led by any mans practice but Gods precepts but this I would say in doubtfull cases where there is not a clear rule in the Word though I would not submit my judgement nor give up my understanding to the opinion of any yet holinesse should prevail much with my affections and I should conclude it is either a truth or certainly it is no dangerous errour that these hold And if I should see two contrary opinions held by godly and holy men I would not goe about to dispute and debate which of them are most holy nor can I conclude that both are truths But this I would conclude that certainly neither of them are dangerous errours both of them are but circumstantiall truths This is a maxime God is never wanting to his Church and people in necessary truths nor doth he leave them to undoing errours And that 's the third Answer That reall holinesse is a probable signe the opinion such hold forth is a truth Conclus 4. Though a reall holinesse be a probable signe Concl. 4 that the opinion is a truth yet it is not an infallible evidence 1. The best men are but men and therefore not infallible not unerring what Whitaker said of the ancient Bishops a Etiam illi Episcopi qui martyres fuerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passi sunt Whit. cont 4. so I may say of all even the best of men they have their failings they have need of some grains of allowance Another speaking of the Fathers saith b Sancti quidem fuerunt sed tamen homi nei affectus suos habuerunt They were holy men but yet were but men and had humane affections and humane frailties Origen Tertullian Cyprian they were holy men c At qui isti in errores multos inciderunt but they fell into many errours d Qui verò pertinaciter eorum sententias desenderiit haeretici habiti sunt Tertullianistae Origenistae appellati Reynold cens Apoc. praelect 4. Jude v 16. And those who took them up and maintained them were called heretikes Tertullianists and Origenists The best men are but men and imperfect in knowledge the Apostle tels us we know but in part we have many corruptions which are too apt to byas us and lead us aside The best men the most godly may be led aside 1. Either from weaknesse of judgement for we know but in part 2. Or from partiality of affections 3. Or from over-weening the maintainers of an opinion It is a dangerous thing for us to have mens persons in admiration men are apt to take things upon trust from honest men 4. Or from the benigne and fair aspects which an opinion may carry thus the affections sometime work upon the understanding and gain the understanding not by demonstration but by allurement this is to bribe us and inveagle our judgements into an opinion not to reason and perswade us Certainly the lesse the understanding hath to deal with the affections and the affections with the understanding in the finding out truth and errour as I said before the safer and clearer is your way 5. Or from over-credulousnesse Or 6. From fear of denying a truth all which I spake to at large in the fore-going Discourse Certainly the best men may be led aside as men they are incident to errour as corruption in them inclinable Nay the Apostle tels us Rom. 16.18 By good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple Ro. 16 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hearts of them not evil as the word is As many followed Absolom in the simplicity of their hearts So there are many who may follow an errour not out of corrupt affections for by-ends or for advantage but even out of the simplicity of their hearts Men may have corrupt hearts in a truth and honest hearts in an errour that is honest ends and honest aims And so much for the fourth answer Though reall holinesse in the maintainers be a probable signe yet it is not an infallible evidence of the truth of an opinion And so much for the fourth Question we now come to the fift Qu. 5. Whether this be not sufficient to evidence an opinion to be true that it is held up and maintained by learned men and on the contrary to discover it an errour that it is maintained by illiterate and unlearned men It hath been the great argument the Papists have had all must needs be truth which such learned Doctours have held and again that must needs be an errour which is upheld and maintained by a sort of unlearn'd and illiterate men and we have had the same note sung to us Cons Park Polit. Eccl. l. 2. c. 20. c. And there are some places of Scripture which seem to favour it that the want of learning is a great cause that men run into many errours as you see 2 Pet. 3 16. where the Apostle speaking of Pauls Epistles he tels us That there are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable doe wrest as they doe also other Scriptures unto their own destruction By which the Apostle seems to inferre that the want of learning is the cause that many doe run into errour And yet if this place be conferr'd with other places it will appear not to make so much for that purpose but on the contrary
the Spirit it is an infallible character of truth But there are four other acceptations of learning which we shall speak unto 1. Learning taken for the knowledge of tongues 2. For knowledge in Arts and Sciences 3. As it is taken for that knowledge which is meerly acquisite in divine things 4. As it is taken for knowledge partly acquisite and partly infused Out of these distinctions we shall frame these answers 1. If by learning be meant the knowledge of tongues only as I told you it was taken in my first distinction of humane learning then I say that neither is that learning sufficient to evidence that a man is in the truth nor the want of it conclude a man to be in an errour Indeed that kinde of learning hath but little of man and reason in it even the least of man it is conversant rather about words than about reason it rather helps to judge of words then of matter it is little help to judge of errour or truth it judgeth more of words then things 2. If by learning be meant the knowledge in Arts and Sciences neither is this conclusive those that excelled most in this kinde of learning have been the greatest enemies against the truth all their knowledge hath been but the strengthnings to carnall reason the fortifications of corrupt reason to make it more strong to oppugne and oppose the truth When the Apostle came to Athens which was the eye of the world or the chief Magazine of the earth for this kinde of learning you see what strong opposition he found all their learning did but fortifie them against the truth which he published And when he preached to them of the resurrection they cry out What will this babler say they judged all but babling which gain-sayed their tenents And he tels you what entertainment the Gospel found among them 1 Cor. 1.23 24. 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We preach Christ crucified which to the Jews is a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse They looked upon this glorious mystery of the Gospel but a silly folly That 's the second 3. If by learning be meant meer acquisite knowledge in divine things or a knowledge gotten up meerly by conversing with Scripture with the writings of holy and learned men then I say again that neither the enjoyment of this will be conclusive that man is in the truth nor will the want of much of this evidence a man is in an errour I have known a man full read in all the writings of men that could better tell you another mans judgement then his own and when out of the abundance of his reading he hath set you down many severall opinions of Fathers and others concerning a point he hath at last concluded with the worst himself Besides there be many errours in the writings of the Fathers and so indeed in all humane writings and he that goes to others to â—ake up his knowledge of truth and wants light within him to distinguish of things that differ may sooner side with an errour then close with a truth Nay if he converse with Scripture and have not a light within him for want of that he may by mistakes run upon errour in steed of truth if the holiest men who have the light of the Spirit out of the imperfection of their light and knowledge may mistake then much more may he who hath no light in him he who though he have a rationall yet wants a spirituall light The Apostle tels us The carnall man is not able to understand the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Cor. 2.14 I know they distinguish between animalis homo homo non renatus between a carnall man and an unregerate man and say that though the carnall man is not able to discern of the things of the Spirit of God yet the unregenerate man may he hath common gifts light knowledge which puts a difference between him and a carnal man though they do not declare him a renewed a regenerate man But yet I say that if we respect the kindes of knowledge neither the carnall nor the unregenerate man can understand the things of the Spirit of God and the Apostles ground shall be mine because they are spiritually discerned which is as much as this because he is not spirituall because he wants an eye from above because he hath no light that is adaequate proportionable to the things revealed they doe exceed captum humanum mans reason and apprehension they are depths above his line to fathom there is a sublimity in the object and a debility in the subject he wants an eye as the naturall eye must enable you to discern of naturall things so a spirituall eye must enable you to discern of spirituall things he may talk of them and dispute of them and have rationall apprehensions of them but no spirituall and divine discoveries of them to his soul he sees them but by the light of the Starrs not by the light of the Sun he sees them by a rationall conception as a man but not by the spirituall notion of them as a Christian As the Apostle shews afterward when he tels you That God hath revealed these things to us by his Spirit such things as eye hath not seen c. that is no naturall eye could apprehend nor any eye which is not enlightned by the light of Christ and the reason why they perceived them was because they had a spirituall eye nay the minde of Christ as in the last verse And so much for the third 4. If by learning be meant such knowledge as is in godly men or if you will so put it up to the utmost such knowledge as is not only in the ordinary ranke of godly men but such as is in those who doe excell and have improved their knowledge by industry by reading and have heightened and refined their intellectuals by the best and choicest helps afforded to man Yet I say though this be a probable signe that the opinion which such men hold forth is a truth yet it cannot be a conclusive and infallible evidence the best of men and the most learned of men have their imperfections their blots their failings It may be said of the most knowing man in the world He knows but in part which though the Apostle spake of degrees and measures of the knowledge of good and truth in the Saints yet it may be meant in respect of the degrees of the knowledge of evil and errour in them also We know but in part I have read of a passage in Reynolds * Quanto ingenio Origines Tertullianâ—s quanta doctrina quam singulari eloquentia suerint omnes intelligunt adeo ut alter Graecorum alter Latinorum Princeps est habitus aâ—qui isti in errores multos inciderunt qui vero pertinaciter eorum sententias defenâ—eruÌ„t haeretici habiti suâ— Terâ—â—â—â—anistae Origenistae appellati Censur
balance of the multitude but in the balance of truth the Word of God This is certain b Veritas neque à nultis neque à paucis pendet Park l. 2. p. 253. Truth doth neither depend on many nor few And therefore we are not to goe by number of votes and voices in finding out of truth but by the authorities of Scripture we are not here to goe by the pol but by the line the Word of God To the Law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this the light is not in them most voices are not here to carry it but enquire What saith the answer of God You know if the diall be not set by the Sunne you care not what it saith So if men be not guided by the Word it 's no matter what they say though they be myriads of men that speak it Indeed we may give too little and too much to multitude 1. We give too little when the concurrent opinions and deliberate thoughts of a number of godly learned and holy men is of no weight with us when we will reject their results ignorantly wilfully without an impartiall debate and examination of them an honour that you give to the opinions I may say the errours of men of no name Certainly as you are not to submit to the judgement of any Assembly or company of the learnedst and holiest men with a blinde obedience So neither are you to reject their results and determinations with a perverse will you are to try them and be so farre from unprejudiced thoughts that you are charitably to judge that probably so many holy and learned men are not in an errour probably they are in the truth and if you thinke otherwise before triall and debate you give too little to them and it is your sin 2. We give too much to multitude and number 1. Either when we judge of an opinion to be truth because the promiscuous multitude doth adhere to it 2. Or when we blindly subscribe to an opinion for truth because many learned and holy men are the Patrons and maintainers of it 1. When we judge of an opinion to be truth because the promiscuous multitude abundance in the Church adhere to it And this is indeed the great errour men are carried away with the crowd they are not able to stand against the stream they are carried down with the multitude and the number of them in the way is the great argument that concludes them in it also Christ tells us here in the text That many shall come in his Name and say they are Christ and shall deceive many Here you are told there may be a multitude of seducers and a multitude of seduced they shall deceive many And it is the worst of arguments to prove truth by multitude It is a passage of Chrysostom * In theatris multitudo quaeratur Multitudo nota ecclesiae ac proindè veritatis noÌ„ est quia ecclesia saepe in paucis confistit deinde quia multitudo malorum impiorum major est post reâ—â—ò faâ—sa Religio majora occupavit spatia quaÌ„ vera Chry. ad pop Antioch â—om 26. The multitude can be no true Character of the truth and he gives three reasons 1. Because the Church of God doth consist in a few 2. Because the number of wicked men are the greatest 3. Because errour hath gotten more ground then truth the possessions and territories of errour doe farre exceed the bounds of truth you know there are more tares then wheat in Gods field more Goats then sheep in his fold more chaff then corn in his floor more bad fishes then good in his net if Atheisticall prophane men unbelievers proud ambitious men coverous and worldly persons hypocrites and formall professours were singled out the residue would be but few you would see ground why Christ calls his flock a little flock a small remnant and to take up the complaint of the Prophet that the number was but as the gleanings of grapes after the vintage is over but as the shaking of an Olive-tree after the fruit is gathered even one of a City two of a Tribe and to say with Christ Broad is the gate that leads to death and many there be that enter thereat but narrow and strait is the gate which leads to life and few there be which enter therein So that you see if we take up judgement of truth by the number of men in the Church that adhere to it we may be mistaken we are commanded not to follow a multitude to evil * Quae nam precor utilitas est multuÌ„ esse foenum quaÌ„ paucos lapides praeciosos non in numeri multitudine sed in virtutis probitate multitude consistit There is much drosse little gold much hay and stubble and little precious stones If there be any validity in this argument of number it is not in the weight but in the worth a Non in quantitate molis sed in qualitate virtutis Non salvat Christianum quod pontifex dicit praeceptum suum esse justum sed oâ—o tet illud examinare atque se iuxta regulaÌ„ superius dataÌ„ dirigere Ger. Laicus temerè doctoribus ecclesia credere non debeat sed coriaÌ„ doctrinas examinare praesertiuâ— cum populi aures sacerdotum cordibus sape sanctiores sim Hieronâ— Epist. not in the bulk or quantity but in the worth and quality of the persons that are the maintainers of it And yet therein we may erre also which is the second way whereby we give too much to multitude When we blindely subscribe to an opinion for truth because many learned and holy men are the Patrons and maintainers of it I have clear'd this to you at large that it is the duty of every Christian to examine not only the private opinions of private men but the sentences definitions debates of Synods and Councels and to embrace or reject them as they shall appear consonant and dissonant to the rule of truth the Word of God And the Scriptures are plain for it we are commanded to try all things 1 Thess 5.21 And not to believe every spirit 1 Joh. 4.1 and to search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Isa 8.20 And the Bereans were commended for the same notwithstanding the doctrine they examined was the doctrine of the Apostles Act. 17.11 And it will not be sufficient for you to say you followed the doctrines of your leaders Christ tells you If the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditch And therefore we shall give too much to a number of holy and learned men to drinke in and receive what ever they doe propound to subscribe our judgement to their positions without further debate and examination of them though the things be truths yet we erre in our way of closing with them we give blinde obedience and implicit faith to them we make men the masters of our faith which wrongs God and injureth
you And therefore as you are not to give too little so beware of giving too much make not Gods of men set not man in Gods stead you know who hath said call no man Rabbi no man Master upon earth you have one who is your Lord and Master in heaven which you know is meant of subjection of our judgements and consciences to men in spirituall things for touching the outward man we have Masters but touching the inward man our faith and conscience this should not nay this cannot be subjected to any power below God And thus much shall serve for the answer of this sixth Question We have now done with the false marks besides which I am now to shew you that there are yet closer agreements which errour hath with truth I say there are nearer touches which have deceived many there are certain strange mysterious workings of errour which carry great resemblance with truth it self We read of an energie of errour a certain energeticall power an active efficacious working power which error hath in which it carries much resemblance with truth it self You read in the 2 Thess 2.11 of an efficacy of errour the energie of errour as the word imports which shews us that errour may be very energeticall very operative and active as well as truth This energeticall power or efficacie and mysterious strong working of errour I will set down in these seven generall heads 1. It will work it self into the heart and affections of the receiver upon as high pretexts and specious pretences as truth it self can doe I say it will convey it self to the understanding and insinuate it self into the heart and affections of a man and procure its reception and purchase its entertainment upon as noble terms and high pretexts as the truth it self And this is implied in the Text Many shall come in my Name and shall say I am Christ and shall deceive many that this was a deceit a seduction Christ speaks plain and that this errour or deceit did procure it's reception upon high pretexts the Text shews plain They shall come in my Name that is they shall pretend my authority my mission and commission that 's high but yet higher They shall say I am Christ that is Christ doctrinall not Christ personall they shall stamp their opinions with the name of Christ and deliver their opinions in the name under pretence of the authority of Christ and how can there be a higher way to purchase entertainment for an errour how can truth convey it self to our understanding and consciences upon higher pretexts and more noble terms I know nothing that truth can say to procure room in your hearts to purchase entertainment in your affections but errour may use the same language doth truth say This is the minde of Christ errour may say the same doth truth say This is for the glory of God for the advancement of holinesse why errour will hold forth the same things The Apostle puts this out of controversie in the 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. where he tells us of false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvell for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall be according to their works Where the Apostle shews plain that the Prince of darknesse may convey himself into the hearts and affections of men as an Angel of light that is he may procure his entertainment not under the notion of a Prince of darknesse so every one would tremble at him but he conveys himself to mens affections and purchaseth his acceptance under the pretext and representation of an Angel of light so the false Apostles they did transform themselves into true Apostles and there is nothing which the true Apostles may hold forth but the false may hold forth the one will hold forth errour upon as high terms and specious pretexts as the other can doe truth it self So that I say errour may convey it self into the heart and conscience and purchase its entertainment upon as high terms as truth it self And these are the most dangerous errours that claim the patronage of Christ and hold forth as specious pretexts as truth it self this is the Devils countermining and by this he would blow up truth Christ himself in his own mine by this he would drive on his own design with Christs strength and further errour with Christs weapons and tools I say not that all that come thus handed to us are errours but this I say these if errours are the most dangerous of all and that upon these four grounds 1. Because they are the most ensnaring and seductive errours most are taken with them under this notion most men they are not able to judge of truth and falshood they are taken with fair pretexts and specious colours such a pretext as this doth strongly force it self into the heart of those who are weak in understanding either by love or by fear if they will not receive it as under this notion for love yet they dare not reject it comming under that notion out of fear lest perhaps they should be found to reject Christ and fight against Christ himself and therefore are they the most ensnaring and seductive opinions if errours and therefore most dangerous 2. Dangerous they are because such opinions if not truth they are a great injury to Christ himself they wrong Christ it must needs be a wrong to Christ to stamp his image upon mens own adulterate and false coyn As men who doe stamp the Kings picture upon their false coyn and to procure the more easie and undoubted reception of it doe in this doe a great injury to the King it is crimen laesae Majestatis they wound Majesty in it and make the King so farre as they can to serve to advance their deceit So men to procure the more facile and free reception of errour they may stamp their opinions with the image and authority of Christ but yet this is a great wrong to Christ for herein they make him who is truth it self the Patron of an errour they draw in Christ as farre as they can to side with or if not yet his name and authority to set off an errour It must needs be a great wrong to him who is the King of light and glory to make him serviceable to the advancement of the design of the Prince of darknesse And a man had need to be full and clear in his opinions and thoughts which he stamps with the Name of Christ lest we prove to be such as stamp his image upon our own false and adulterous coyn 3. They are dangerous because they are the most separating and dividing opinions that can be Christ or not Christ is indeed and justly too the great parting stone Religion is the foundation of all unions it is the great band and difference in
contrary I say it will work not only on the passions which move in a lower orb but it will work on the affections As the sea is moved this way or that way by the strongest winde so the affections are moved and operated upon by the strongest perswasions though the perswasion be false yet if strongest it doth command the affections up to it Affections they are but the servants of and to the understanding and follow it according to it's results and dictates they are but coecae potentiae but blinde faculties and the understanding is their guide and they follow that though it be in an errour and that 's miserable for then The blinde leads the blinde and both fall into the ditch You know the lesser wheels move as the greater carry them the dyall goes as it is set so the affections they move according to the motion of the understanding if the understanding be in an errour the affections are carried with it there is no question but mens affections may be strongly wrought upon in an erroneous way the affections come up to those apprehensions which the judgment hath they follow the notions of the understanding they are but the servants of the understanding and follow it more faithfully in an errour then they doe in a truth because they are corrupt Errour and sin agree a corrupt head and a corrupt heart doe better agree then a sound judgment and a corrupt heart and therefore they doe not onely follow the understanding in an errour but follow it more faithfully more uniformly and universally The Master and the servant are well agreed Indeed they may follow the understanding with gain-saying with reluctance and bearing back in a truth but they follow it freely naturally chearfully in an errour So that you see errour may work upon the heart and affections too you know while Paul was an enemy to the Gospel and doctrine of Christ he was in an errour yet it was such an errour as worked strongly upon his heart and affections he was in an errour with conscientious respects and his affections they were moved according to his false light insomuch that he was zealous in his way and tells us that he was eminent in his zeal for his errour and in opposition of those who professed the contrary as he tells us Phil. 3.6 As touching the righteousnesse of the Law he was blamelesse and as concerning zeal he persecuted the Church So eminent was he in his love and affection towards his own erroneous way and so eminent in his opposition of the contrary that he persecuted them of a contrary minde And he saith upon his own experience the same of the Jews who were in the same way of errour Rom. 10.2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge here were affections zeal is amor intensus as the Schools say it is the heat of love or if you will it is an affection compounded of love and anger love to that which they apprehend to be truth and displicency and anger against the contrary they had a zeal to God but it was not according to knowledge that is according to sound and right knowledge it was according to their knowledge but not right knowledge they might walk conscientiously and with conscientious respects according to that knowledge and apprehension they had but yet walk in a way of errour their affections might move according to their notion and apprehension of things and yet you know they moved in an errour And I conceive plain experience doth tell us this that errour will work upon the affections as well as truth if you look abroad upon any erroneous Religion or if you look at home upon erroneous opinions they will all tell you this that errour doth work and work strongly upon the affections as well as truth 3. Error will not only work upon the affections but it will steer a mans life conversation according to it It will put a man to speak according to it and act according to it live according to it mens practices are but the results of their principles their lives waies they are but the expressions of their doctrins and opinions Men may be as true to erroneous as others are to religious principles erroneous opinions may not only have an influence upon the conscience but the conversation too will cause a man to order his waies and steer his conversation according to them Errour entertain'd doth binde the conscience as well as truth to walk answerable to it they dare no more recede from their erroneous principles walk unanswerable to them without wound of conscience then a man dare recede from the truth it self Nay here is a wonder as a godly man will walk holily to adorn the truth and dignifie the Gospel of Christ and dare not walk disorderly lest the waies and truth of Christ should be blasphemed for his cause so may a man in an errour out of the like conscientious respects endeavour to walk holily for the gracing and adorning of an errour which yet he apprehends to be a truth and he dare not walk disorderly lest he should give occasion to others to condemn and speak against that opinion which he apprehends truth but is indeed an errour And this I could evidence by instances enough if it were need I suppose that Scripture speaks to it Phil. 3.6 Paul while in ignorance held up the righteousnesse of the Law against Christ as they did in Rom. 10.1 and he walked answerable to this knowledge For as touching the righteousnesse of the Law he was blamelesse And no question but he made conscience to walk so much the more exactly that he might adorn this opinion and give out to the world that there was no lesse exactnesse no lesse strictnesse and holinesse in that way he was in then there was in the Apostles who held out the contrary way men may walk with honesty of heart in an erroneous way when they walk answerable to their principles though they be erroneous It is one thing to walk with an understanding another thing to walk with an honest heart in a way Such a man as doth not close with an opinion for base respects nor recede from his principles for worldly respects either gain or losse such a man as walks answerable to his opinion though an errour may be said to doe this with honesty of heart without hypocrisie but yet with a deluded heart They have a zeal but yet without knowledge When the Disciples were sorrowfull because Christ told them he was to goe away Christ saith to them If you loved me you would rejoyce I goe to my Father Certainly they loved him they had forsaken all to follow him and Christ did neither doubt of their love nor blame their want of love here * Christus culpavit non affectum sed consilium He blamed their judgements not their affections though they loved him yet they
ingage a man to doe and to doe out of conscientious respects so will it check conscience if he doe not Conscience walks according to it's light both in checks and comforts when conscience is perswaded of this or that to be a truth if he doe not walk answerable to it it will check him for it if conscience be not a guide it will be a scourge if not directive it will be afflictive it will charge him and check him if he have not walked answerable And this is a fearfull condition that such a man is in he sins in doing because he doth for an errour and he is tormented for not doing because he apprehends it a truth Indeed a man is not damned for following the dictates of conscience for this he ought to doe but he is damned for following an erroneous conscience we ought to follow the dictates of conscience but we ought to get conscience rightly enformed then And what need there is of that you see here because an erroneous conscience will ingage men to doe as well as an enlightened conscience and will punish and check him if he doe not as well as a conscience enlightned 6. As errour will ingage a man to doe so it will ingage a man to suffer too I know nothing that a man may doe or suffer for a truth but he may doe and suffer for an errour under the notion of truth 1. A man may suffer in his good name he may be content to be reproached defamed calumned and may binde all these reproaches as a crown about his head with Job and wear them as his crown and glory 2. He may suffer in his goods and be content rather to part with all then his opinion and when he hath done as a man would say for a truth so may he for an errour which he apprehends truth I thank God I had any thing to lose for it its worth all I had and much more 3. He may suffer in his body imprisonment and what other things may be inflicted on the body even the highest punishment of all death it self and all this for an errour As God hath Martyrs for truth so hath the devil Martyrs for errour what heresie but hath been sealed up by the death of some of the maintainers The Arians who denied the Deity of Christ they suffer'd nay which is wonder some of them would suffer for Christ as a Saviour though they denied Christ to be God The like I might say of the Nestorians Manichees and others What need we goe farther Will not the Papists themselves suffer death for their Catholike Cause Nay which is yet more stupendious a man may not only die but he may die comfortably in and for an errour he may die rejoycing as if he died for a truth though he die in a delusion And that 's the next 7. It 's possible for a man to have quiet of conscience and comfort of conscience when he doth doe or suffer for an errour the more uniformly he walks the more true and faithfull he is to his principles still the more comfort he findes he hath this comfort of his sincerity or honesty of heart that he hath been true to his light though that light be but darknesse A man may have comfort in an errour no true comfort from an errour Solomon had the greatest revelations when he was at Gibeah and where was that but at a high place but he had it not from Gibeah A man may have comfort in an errour but not from an errour I grant false notions may afford comfort But 1. Either false comfort a painted no reall comfort 2. Or the comfort is but the comfort of his naturall conscience in being true to his opinion not the comfort of God The Papists may finde some comfort in their way but either it is a deluded comfort or the comfort which ariseth from being honest to a delusion There is no question but there is fear and comfort in the Turkish Religion when they do not walk according to their principles received they may be troubled and when they doe possibly they may have comfort The ground of this is this because they walk answerable to their principles and then nothing within will check a man all is at quiet within this is but the quiet of a naturall conscience Naturall conscience will tell them there is a God and that this God is to be worshipped but it cannot direct the way now being either instructed or brought up and educated in this or that way he takes it for a truth though perhaps it be an errour and walking answerablâ— to it for want of further light his conscience is quiet he hath comfort of those principles he hath when he hath been true to them yet this is but false comfort Certainly if you have any comfort of God It is either 1. Comfort in an errour but not from an errour or it is comfort from your graces not from your errour Your graces may afford you comfort viz. your sincerity but your errour affords none 2. Many errours that may have some mixtures of truth in them and then your comfâ—rt is not from the errour but from truth mingled with it A man perhaps hath been in some trouble and his trouble arose from want of an evidence of his sincerity now it may be there is some opinions abroad which a man may close withall as persecuted truths though they are but censured condemned errours and in this act he gets comfort perhaps he hath the evidence of his sincerity that he is willing to close with a persecuted truth which may afford some comfort though the thing closed withall be an errour And I beleeve that many doe close with opinions upon this ground as persecuted truths and thereby evidence their sincerity which perhaps if they should not they would be troubled and could not be able to doe Indeed it were an honourable and desirable thing to suffer upon good grounds suffering for Christ is desirable he who knows the emptinesse of these things and what these things are in comparison of eternity would be glad and rejoyce to part with any thing for Christ. Indeed it is not too dear to purchase and maintain a truth with the hazzard and losse of all yet who would be at this cost for an errour There is none that are godly but would be content to maintain a truth and suffer truth to live upon them upon their estates comforts c. but who would doe this for an errour I only suggest this to you it may be you take in an opinion you receive it for a truth But take heed you be not deceived It may be that opinion may cost you your estate your liberty c. and therefore you had best consider well before you entertain lest you be at this cost to maintain an errour in steed of upholding a truth All is not too good to part withall for a truth but nothing but is too good to give
to be the rule of life I come to the second maxime What ever may be collected by way of manifest consequence Max. 2 or made out by evident deductions from the Word is certainly true This is the second maxime Morton Apol. Cat. p 2. l. 5. c 9 Though a Doctrin asserted be not in totidem verbis as we say expressed in Scripture yet if it may bee made out of Scripture by manifest and undeniable consequence this is certainly a truth there are many precious truths which are not yet in distinct words expressed in the Scripture For example if a man hold forth this doctrine that it is possible for a man to come to the knowledge of his renovation or his own condition This is a truth but where do we finde it in these distinct words in Scripture and yet it may be soundly collected from such Scriptures as these Examine prove try your selves know you not your own selves All which imply that upon tryall a man may be able to come to the knowledge of himself and the like may be said of many other points which though in terminis are not contain'd in Scripture yet may be made out by manifest consequence and evident deduction and therefore are truths So that I say what ever may be made out of the Word by evident deduction is to be received as a truth But here I must lay down three Cautions The place of Scripture or that Word from whence the deductions Cau. 1 are made must not be mistaken The Pharisees read in Scripture that Christ should be a King and thence they made these deductions that certainly Jesus was not the Christ here was a mistake of the place The Disciples had read in the Law that Christ should live for ever and thence they made these deductions that Christ should not die We have read in the Law that Christ shall live for ever how saiest thou then that thou must die here was a mistake of the place So the Apostles they preached Christian liberty and had said that Christ had purchased and instated all believers into a blessed freedome which they were to maintain against any who went about to defraud them of it But now if they or others should take this Christian freedom to consist in exemption from all laws both of God and man here were a great mistake farre from the Apostles thoughts and those deductions are a building without a foundation and cannot stand Cau. 2 2. The deductions must be rightly gathered they must naturally arise from the Scripture There are many false deductions made and I may say so many errours founded upon the Word of truth Take an instance or two you have here a Scripture Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name c. when a man shall gather from thence that the Saints may be seduced and carried away with damnable errours this is a false deduction the 24. verse doth plainly shew us that where it is said They should deceive if it were possible the very elect by which is implyed the elect cannot be deceived So we have another Scripture where it is said Keep me from presumptuous sins and now when from this a man shall gather such a doctrine as this that the Saints may sin presumptuously this is a false collection and contrary to that Scripture in Rom. 6.14 Sinne shall not raign in you for you are not under the Law but grace c. The like may be said of that Scripture Let him that stands take heed lest he fall when a man shall inferre thence that the Saints may fall totally and finally this is a false inference and contrary to the expresse Word of God and his own Covenant which is Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant and I will never depart from you from doing you good but I will put my fear in your heart you shall never depart from me We read also of such a Scripture as this You would not come to mee that you might have life when a man shall draw such conclusions as these from it that it is in the power of man of himself to come over to Christ it is a false deduction So we read such an expression as this Work out your salvation with fear and trembling and when thence we shall gather that no man can be assured of his condition this is a false deduction Many more might be named but these shall suffice by which you see what need we have of adding this caution viz. That the deductions be rightly gathered we will come to the third 3. Those Deductions they must agree with the harmony of Cau. 3 Scripture it may be there may be deductions made and those rightly gathered nay and the place be rightly understood too and yet those deductions may be erroneous Nihil serè in Scripturis obscurū est quod nō alibi planissimè dictum reperiatur Au. Scriptura eam studiosè perscrutantibus est sui interpres Mort. Ap. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 10 c. because they agree not with the harmony of Scripture Truth is not ever found by one place what is spoken in one place may be repealed in another and therefore we must consult with the harmony see the agreement how one place doth bear witnesse to another though you look upon some places and see them disagreeing yet there is a sweet harmony and agreement in all like Nathan and Bathsheba they speak the same thing assure your self it is none of the least of the noble works of the Ministers of Christ to study the harmony of Scripture and see how they doe mutually give hands and bear witnesse one to another it is the fault of some the better to strengthen their opinions to set one Scripture at difference with another it is our work to search the agreement and discover how in their disagreements they are yet serviceable one to another and to the purpose of God in the saving them that doe believe It was Pauls course you see in his whole Epistle to the Hebrews Whit. cont 1. q 5. c 9. p. 361. 〈◊〉 medijs inveniendi Scripturae sensum not to decry the old Testament which indeed was but the Gospel vailed but to take the vail off which was upon those places and upon their eyes in the reading of them as he tells them and shewd them that all this was but Christ in figure all this was but Christ in type they were but the figure of those things that were to come I am confident that the want of study and endeavour to seek to preserve the harmony of Scriptures is the great ground of many errours among us those deductions are not safe which overthrow the harmony and agreement of Scriptures the Word of God And those are certainly true with which the whole harmony of Scripture doth agree and so much for the third Caution and second particular Max. 3 What ever may be made evident to be
consonant to Gods minde or the main end of God in Scripture though there be not a particular place for it yet doubtlesse it is a truth there are many precious truths which yet would puzzle to finde a particular place upon which they may be fully established which yet agree with the generall drift and main end of God in the Scripture The great end of God in Scripture is to bring us out of our selves and to bring us up to him to render all the world emptinesse and discover fullnesse alone in himself to bring us to believe and close with Christ and give up our selves to him in waies of love and obedience and what ever doctrine doth truly serve for these ends what ever drives on this design is undoubtedly a truth though it be not contain'd in expresse words in Scripture And so much shall serve for the first Character by which many errours are struck down we come now to the second And Chara. 2 2. The second Character of truth is this That which doth really and truly advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God All truth as I told you was divine Revelation and it is the end of all divine revelation to advance and set up God in Christ it is the great design the great end which God doth aim at in all his Word-revelation to set up himself to advance the riches of his grace in Jesus Christ And therefore that which doth really and truely advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God For our better and clearer conception we must take this Character in pieces and shew you how it contains four conditions or there are four qualifications requisite to evidence any doctrine to be a truth of Christ 1. It must advance God 2. All God 3. All God in Christ. 4. It must doe all this really 1. Divine truth it doth advance God it sets up God and layes man low it raiseth up God upon the ruines of self and sin it makes God great and man little God all and man nothing it empties man of himself and makes him seek his fullnesse in God and that which doth thus hath a good evidence it is a truth of God Errour may advance the creature it may advance a mans self but it doth not advance God nay errour may seek God in the creature but it cannot seek it self in God it may give to the creature that which is Gods but not give to God that which is the creatures it may take from God to give to the creature but it doth not take from the creature to give to God And errour may lessen it self to make the creature great but it cannot make it self nothing to make God great you see this in Colos 2.18 Some in a voluntary humility did worship Angels here man lessens himself to make a creature great but he doth not make himself nothing to make God great Here he takes from himself and from God to give to a creature but he doth not take from the creature from himself to give unto God This is a genuine property of truth it advanceth God it makes God all and it self nothing it empties it self of it's self and seeks alone it's fulnesse in God that can be no truth that draws not up the heart to God and brings the soul to live in him as it 's utmost happinesse and that which doth thus must needs make all things little and God great and be content to lose it self in God and for God that it may finde it self in God Now if you should examine some opinions by this 1. There is an opinion that man hath ability to close with the tenders and offers of grace he hath power in his pure naturals to come over to Christ This opinion advanceth man but doth not advance God it sets up the will of man against the will of God it is an opinion against Word-revelation we are said to be dead in sin and dead men cannot move Christ tels us Without him we can doe nothing Joh. 15.5 2. Divine truth it advanceth all God 1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God 2. It doth advance the will of God 3. It doth advance the waies of God 1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God 1. The Wisdome of God 2. The Mercy 3. The Justice 4. The Power 5. The Immutability of God 6. The Holinesse of God There are some opinions which may seem to advance some of God but not all of God Some that may seem to advance his mercy but not his justice some his grace but not his holinesse some his power and his wisdome but not his truth that opinion which doth not advance the justice as well as mercy the holinesse as well as the grace of God certainly it is no truth of God God hath set himself to be wholly advanced in all his attributes and you doe not advance any of God if you doe not advance all of God To instance for illustration in a few particulars 1. Therâ— is an opinion that Christ came to save all here is an oâ—â—nion that doth advance the mercy but not the truth of God You know the Word tells us that he came to save them who shall believe in him now certainly if he came to save all then all believe but the Apostle tells us that all men have not faith therefore surely the death of Christ is no further to be extended then his prayer and his prayer is not for all as you may see Joh. 17.9 Joh. 17.9 I pray not for the world but for them thou hast given me 2. So secondly there is an opinion that Christ merited no love or mercy at his Fathers hands for us God loved us from everlasting and say they How can Christ be said to merit that which we had already Now would you know whether this is a truth or an errour You may examine it by this see doth it advance all God indeed this doth advance the love the mercy of God but not the justice of God it is indeed a wrong to his justice for Gods justice is no way advanced unlesse there be satisfaction made to it all the mercy that God bestows on sinfull men it is in relation to his precedent satisfaction Eph. 4.13 hence Christ is said to bear sinne to satisfie for sin c. and God for Christs sake is said to pardon sinne Ephes 4.32 3. There is an opinion that the Saints may fall from grace and they say this opinion doth much advance Gods justice but how that can be I cannot discern when I see it so evidently contrary to his truth to his promise and covenant he hath made with us as you see Jer. 32.40 certainly though the life of a Christian be a secret life it is hid yet it is a safe life it is hid in Christ Besides these there are many opinions which would seem to advance the grace of Christ and the mercy of
God which yet are enemies to the justice and holinesse of God Certainly faith and holinesse ever goe together even as heat and light in the Sunne c. And that opinion which doth not advance all God is certainly an errour If you single out some attributeâ— â—nd tell us this or that opinion is for the glorie of them if yet it be inconsistent with other attributes of God certainly it is no truth of God All divine truth hath not only a consistency with but tends to the advancement of every attribute of God That a man should be justified and saved by Christ here is the grand truth and here all the attributes of God meet here is wisdome mercy justice truth power grace holinesse all meet in this as lines in the Center as beams in the Sunne as Rivers in the Sea God and all God is advanced in the justification and salvation of poor miserable man So much for the first 2. As truth doth advance the nature and attributes of God so it doth advance the will of God by this doth Christ evidence that his words were true Joh. 5.30 Therefore my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me If Christ who was truth essentiall doth evidence the truth of his Doctrine thus how much more may we evidence the doctrine of truth by this that it advanceth the will of God It sets up Gods will above the will of the creature it sets up his revealed will above all the authorities of men above all traditions what ever Now if we should examine opinions by this 1. There is an opinion that man hath freedom of will to spirituall good Is this a truth yea or no Why here you may be satisfied this tells you it is an errour because it advanceth not the will of God but the will of man I say it advanceth mans will but not the will of God it is a doctrin overthrows all the counsels of God if this were so where were election reprobation then the will of the creature should rule the will of God And as this opinion is contrary to Gods secret so this opinion is repugnant to the revealed will of God he tells us that it is God that worketh the will and the deed and that without him we can doe nothing that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So that this opinion is opposite both to Gods secret and his revealed will both to his decree and to his Word 3. Divine truth as it advanceth the attributes the will of God so it doth advance the waies of God It advanceth obedience exact obedience it advanceth duty and exactnesse in duty though it set not duty above Christ nor in opposition to Christ though it set not up obedience above faith nor in opposition to faith yet it advanceth duty in Christ and obedience with faith the obedience of faith justifies our persons but the obedience from faith doth justifie our faith There are many opinions which cry up grace but de-cry holines that advance faith but cry downe obedience that set up Christ but cry downe the Law Indeed we all cry them downe in opposition to Christ and grace but we set them up in subordination And indeed there is a sweet subordination between the Law and the Gospell Christ and obedience The Law sends us to the Gospel and the Gospel having justified us sends us to the Law as the rule of our obedience I say the Law sends us to the Gospel for it cannot justify it cannot save Indeed it saith Doe this and live But not that we should doe and live by doing for God hath appointed another way but it saith Do this and live to empty us of our selves and bring us over to the Gospel that we might live and doe There may be a fault to put men to doing before they put them to beleeving or to put them to doe that they may be enabled to beleeve for faith is the rise and spring of action all action must begin from faith and by faith we are enabled to obey as it was said of Abraham Heb. 11. by faith Abraham obeyed and we are said to be created in Christ to good works there can be no doing without strength no strength but from Christ nothing from Christ but by union no union but by faith therefore the Apostle saith He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life all which seemes to speake plainly that it is no good way to turne men to obeying before they put men to beleeving nor to put men to obeying that they may be enabled to beleeving But yet though we are not to put men to duty to enable them by any power in those duties to beleeve yet may we must we put men upon faith to enable them to obey though we may not substitute faith to obedience yet we ought to substitute obedience to faith And indeed it is the noblest piece of faith that it doth enable us to service The excellency of faith is not in this only that it justifies us but puts us into a capacity and gives us ability to serve God And he that lookes not upon faith as that wherein it 's excellency doth greatly consist that it doth enable us to duty that it strengthens us to service he doth not yet know what Christ and faith is he hath only a faith in notion but knows not faith in truth and power And so much for the second divine truth it advanceth all God the nature and attributes of God the will of God the wayes of God We come to the third Thirdly It doth all this in Christ I say divine truth it advanceth all God in Christ God hath set himselfe to be advanced and glorious to the creature to all eternity but in Christ Indeed all God is no other way to be advanced but in Christ nor hath God set himselfe to be wholly advanced any other way of the creature but in Christ Something of God is to be seen in every creature and something of God to be advanced in them much of God is to be seen and advanced in the whole creation the Heavens they declare the wisedome the power of God and he sets himselfe to be advanced in them the law declares the justice holines of God But now Christ declares all God you may see God in all his dimensions of glory in Christ In him hath God set himselfe to be visible in all his glory to the Saints In him dwels all the fulnes of the godhead bodily fulnes all fulnes all the fulnes of the godhead and all this dwells in him it is in him primarily originally it is in him as the proprietary as the Lord and master to dispose of it c. It is in him perpetually there it dwells and dwells for ever And in Christ hath God set himselfe to be seen in all his
the will of God all the wayes of God and doe they advance all God in Christ And doe all this not seemingly but really Certainely if so they are truths of God Besides you that have entertayned and closed with any opinions tell me let conscience speake hast thou found them to be serviceable to advance the whole work of grace in thy heart and in thy life What operations have they had upon thee have they humbled thee quickned thee made thee more holy more exact in thy walking c. Indeed its true truths are more infallibly known in their esse then in their operari in thesi then in praxi in their revelation then in their operations But yet they may be discerned by their operations also because all truth workes like unto it selfe its holy and it worketh holily pure and it workes purely spiritually and it workes spirituall many who know not the simples of things as they grow that yet know them by their operations and many who know not a truth in its esse and being who yet know it in its operations and workings they know not truth as it is in Iesus but they know truth as it workes like Jesus they cannot evidence truth so fully in its being in the word as they can in its operations upon the heart many that know it better by experience then they can evidence it by arguments And you shall be able to judge of most opinions if you doe but look upon them in their operations upon the heart Certainely that which doth humble us quicken us make us more holy c. it cannot likely be an errour if an opinion hath these influences and operations upon the heart it is surely a truth And on the contrary if an opinion doth make us more proud self-conceited uncharitable lesse exact in our walking c. it is not probable to be a truth truth is holy and it works like to it self holily If a man had received a pill and he see it worke kindly upon the humours he concludes it is good and proper but if instead of working upon them and emptying the body of malignant humours it doth swell a man c. he will presently conclude it is poyson So when you have entertayned an opinion and you finde it workes kindly upon your corruptions it doth humble you purge you and is helpfull to your graces it doth quicken you and make you more holy you have some comfortable evidence that this is a truth it workes like truth But on the contrary if we finde an opinion doth swell us up with pride make us proud and censorious and uncharitable deads our hearts to duty slackens the hand to the exercise of godlines and you see this not onely the fruit but the proper effect of the opinion you may be sure that opinion is an errour Christians you are fallen into those times wherein errours doe abound as some truths are discovered so many errours are revealed you need to take heed you be not deceived especially seeing every opinion doth language it self unto you in the words of the text Loe here is Christ. And me thinks I did not need to say any more that which I have spoken might be sufficient to discover errour and to confirme you in the truth But yet in regard there are so many opinions abroad and many of those so dangerous so subtle so seductive I shall in the conclusion of this Question adde a few particulars which may serve instead of a fence to preserve you from errour and a starre to guide you in the wayes of truth And I shall branch this discourse into these two generall heads 1. Cautions 2. Directions 1. Beware of being too credulous of taking all upon trust and drinking in all you heare many men whose souls are but like to blanke paper fit for any to scroll upon or like to soft wax ready to receive what impression men will stampe in them Wee are commanded to examine to try to prove all things as I have shewed at large Non opus est virilis intelligentiae sed puerilit inscitiae therefore hath God given you the light of reason as you are men the light of grace as you are Christian men that you might prove and examine doctrines If we were to take all on trust there were no need of the understanding of men the simplicity of children would serve the turne for that Now I finde there are three great grounds why men are so apt to take opinions upon trust 1. a Qualitatem docentium non doctrinae One is because they come handed to us by the best men b Non personis fides probanda est sed potius ex fide persona Men examine more the quis then the quid the quality of the doctor more then the nature of the doctrine which is held forth if they see an opinion handed to them by holy men and learned men they presently receive it even as Gospell without any scruple or any doubt of it and thus oftentimes though they thirst after truth Quamvis evangeliuÌ„ sitiunt venenum hauriant Consul Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. cap. 12. p. 421. Hoc lantuÌ„ scio quod nihil scio Consul Mort. Apol Cath. p. 2. l. 5. cap. 12. Estote probait numularij siquis numâ—aus fit adulterus figuraÌ„ Caesaris non habeat nec signatus fit moneta publica reprobetur Morton yet they drinke in errour you had need to take heed of this in these dayes I have told you the best of men are but men and being men they may be deceivers though they are not willing to deceive the Apostle tells us We know but in part And this is not the least part of our knowledge to know that our knowledge is imperfect 2. A second ground men are so apt to take an opinion upon trust is because an opinion comes languaged under the most receptâ—ble termes it is conveyed to them under the highest notions perhaps it may speake the language of the Text Loe here is Christ And indeed if you looke abroad you shall scarce see any opinion that will stoop to seek its entertaynment or procure its reception upon lower termes then as the minde of Christ every opinion pretends Christs commission for its passe and will carry as bigg a saile as truth it self And though this prevaile much with men to give up their understandings and subject their hearts to such an opinion either they feare to reject it or for the very name sake they embrace it yet certainely all is not truth that goes under that name too many doe stamp Christs image upon their own coyne To discover some of those opinions to you which goe under that name you may take in these few particulars 1. Certainely that opinion which suits not with the minde of Christ though it say Loe here is Christ yet it is an errour not a truth of Christ 2. That opinion which suites not with the
as he of the other Then shall you finde it if you digg for it as for hidden treasure You have another promise for that Hos 6.3 Then shall you know if you follow on to know the Lord where ever the Antecedent duty was ever truly done the consequent priviledge was never denied A man may with Pilate ask what is truth and with him never be the wiser he asketh rather out of complement then out of affections to be resolved And a man may enquire overtly and remisly and yet never know but he that doth enquire diligently and industriously that diggeth for it as for hid treasure shall surely finde Truth is a treasure it is the choisest treasure upon earth and treasures must be digged for and there was never any that digged but he found Nunquam Pauli sensum ingredieris nisi Pauli spiritum imbiberlâ— Bernard at lest so much treasure of truth as was needfull for glory and for grace 4. You must consult with God in the Word not only with the Word of God but with God in the Word As one saith of Pauls Epistles Thou shalt never attain to the right sense of Pauls Epistles till thou drink of Pauls spirit so thou shalt never know the minde of God in Scripture till thou consult with God in Scripture Indeed you may know the history of Scripture but not the mysterie of it you shall read the words but you shall not know the minde of Christ as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2. ult till you consult with God and the Spirit of Christ in the Word it is he only that must unfold his own meaning enlighten his own Word reveal his own truth otherwise thou wilt be dark in the midst of light and ignorant under all the discoveries of wisdome as the Apostle sets it down at large 1 Cor. 2.7 8 9. 14 15 16. And this is our first direction if you would finde out truth Consult impartially and diligently with the Word of God and God in the Word Scriptura seipsam noÌ„ interpretatur quia varios ensâ—â— praebet Bellarm Obj. But you will say though it be granted the Word is the supreme Judge yet the Scripture is capable of many and divers senses and we see divers interpretations of them one holds forth this to be the sense of Scripture another holds forth another clean contrary and therefore How should we know what is the right sense of Scripture Answ 1. I answer first the divers senses the Scripture doth receive they are not from the Scriptures themselves but from us they are rather different senses put upon it then given by it that diversity of senses is not from the spirit inspiring but from the persons enquiring it is the ignorance and perversnesse of men who wrest Scripture to their own condemnation Morton Apo. Cath. p. â— l. 5. c. 9 Consul Whitak de mediis inveniendi veruÌ„ Scripturae sensum Contro 1 q. 5. c. 9. p. 361. 2. But secondly though men give divers senses of Scripture yet God hath not left us without some helps and means whereby we may come to the knowledge what is the right sense of Scripture Some of the Papists they set down four waies whereby we might come to the right sense of Scripture 1. Regula fidei the rule of faith 2. Praxis Ecclesiae the custome of the Church 3. Patrum consentiens interpretatio the agreement of Fathers 4. Conciliorum praescripta decreta c. the decrees of Councels this seems passing fair it is a wonder they yeeld to thus much but if this be examined to the bottome I fear you will see the Pope to lie hid under all this so that the issue would be that he is the only unerring interpreter of Scripture for they say 1. 1. Regula fidei est quam Papa probat 2. Praxis ecclesiae est quam Papa servat 3. Patrum interpretatio est quaÌ„ Papa â—equitur 4 Concilioâ—um definitio est quaÌ„ Papa confirmat Whitak cont 1 q 5. c 12. pag. 365. Consul Whitak cont 1. q. 5. c. 9. p. 361. Theologus quidam dixit se orando magis quam studendo ac legendo in cognitione Scripturaru a profecisse Orationi lectio lectioni succedat oratio Jerom. In versionum rivulis non est haerendum sed ipsi Scripturarum fontes adeundi sunt Whit. Pax in terra hominibus boâ—ae voluntatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunquam significat liberum hominis arbitrium sed gratuitam Dei erga homines benevolentiaÌ„ Whit. Consul Whitak loc cit That is the rule of faith which the Pope approves on And 2. That is the practice of the Church which the Pope retains 3. And that is the interpretation of Fathers which the Pope doth follow 4. And that is the determination of Councels which the Pope doth confirm so that in the issue of all faith is resolved into him alone But we will leave them and their waies unto themselves God I say hath not left us without waies and helps whereby we may come to understand the right sense of Scripture Among many I shall lay down these eight severall waies for the finding out the right sense of the word Med. 1. The first and the great means is prayer Prayer is the key which opens the hidden things of God It is Gods direction If any lack wisdome let him ask it of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not Jam. 1.5 As he forgives and doth not upbraid with the injurie so he gives and doth not upbraid with the courtesie It is but ask and have Mat. 7. It was Gods direction and it hath been the Saints practice Open mine eyes saith David that I may understand the wonderfull things of thy Law And if he had cause to pray how much more have we you read and understand not because you doe not pray if you would profit more you must pray more Goe therefore unto him who hath the keyes of David and opens and no man shutteth and desire him to open and reveal his minde to thee We read in Dan. 2 28. that Christ is said to reveal mysteries goe to him and desire him who reveals mysteries that he would open and reveal the mysteries of his Word to you desire him to unclasp this book begg of him to take the veil from thy heart the scales from thy eyes that thou may understand the wonders of the Law the mysteries of the Gospel you have a promise that you shall all be taught of God Joh. 6. Turn this promise into a praier and desire him who onely can teach that he would teach thee A second way whereby we may be enabled to finde the true sense of Scripture is to acquaint our selves with and enquire into the originall languages of Scripture the knowledge of them as it is great establishment unto many truths So it would be the confutation of many errours take an instance or two Luk. 2.14 Glory to God on high on earth peace good
were to joyne in execution of the sentence and willing râ—jection and casting him out Many others might be named but I shall wave them and come to the second 2. As you compare like places with like so unlike places with unlike viz. 6. Ioh. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink this blood you have no life in you whence the Papists gather a corporall feeding now compare this with the sixth Commandment Thou shalt not kill if it be such a fault to kill much more is it to eat and devour a man as Papists do conclude by their doctrine Hence Aug. saith those words ought to be interpreted figuratively otherwise they had required a horrible sinne of us 7 M. All our expositions should agree with the Analogy of faith which you reade of 12. Rom. 6. Prophesie according to the proportion of faith now the Analogy of faith is nothing else but the constant and perpetuall sentence of Scripture in the cleerest places of it of which sort are the Articles of faith the Lords Prayer the ten Commandements and what ever is repugnant to this is a false exposition now for instance that exposition this is my body by which Papists interpret this bred is changed into my body the Lutherans they say the body of Christ is under this bread both these are false they differ from the Analogy of faith 1. That tells us Christ had a body like ours and such a body as cannot lye under the accidents of bread or be together with it 2. The Analogy of faith saith Christ is in Heaven therefore not in a box with them 3. Consul Whitak Cont. 1. q. 5 c. 9. It saith Christ shall not come from Heaven till judgement therefore not from the box nor can the words of the Priest who stiles himself Creator creatoris sui make him So the Papists say we are justified by works this is also contrary to the Analogy of faith because in the Lords Prayer we begg for pardon which shewes remission an act of grace not debt 8 M. Because we are weak not able to use these means therefore we ought to make use of the best helpes reading hearing meditating conferring together with the comments and expositions of the best and most orthodox Sed videÌ„dum interim ne nimium illis tribuamus néve putemus illorum interpretationes recipiendas esse quia sunt ab illis profectae Whitak ibid. Esek 43.10.11 But in this take heed of tying your faith to men give not too much be content to take in the light of others but doe not shut your own eyes and give up your selves wholly to be guided by them And if you use these meanes impartially plainely without prejudice you shall be inabled to finde out the minde of God so farre as concernes your everlasting peace And that is the first direction 2. Di. Get an humble heart God hath said he reveales his secrets to the humble the humble shall know his wayes God will breake his minde to the broken in heart that is the way to finde out any truth in generall and this or that particular truth in controversy you see this in the 43. Ezek. 10 11. Shew unto the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and then shew them the paterne And God grant we may be an humbled people certainely it is the way to finde out the truth of God in these times of errour 3. Di. Labour to be renewed in the spirit of your minde That is another direction An unrenewed man shall never know the minde of God God will not reveale his will to those who will doe their own This is that the Apostle layes down as a preparation before he did reveale some points to them Rom. 12.2 Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to the world but be ye renewed in the spirit of your minde that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God where you see the Apostle layes down this as a necessary antecedent before we can know viz. the change of the heart and the renovation of the minde 4. Get a heart prepared for the entertainment of the truth of God upon any termes A heart that may value more of one truth of God then a world a heart that esteems truth honour truth riches truth friends truth to be all A heart that cannot deny it selfe in these things for truth or a heart byassed and drawne aside by carnall respects c. will never finde out any truth of God Sinne in the affection causeth darknes in the understanding a corrupt heart will breed a corrupt head c. sinne in the affection breeds errour and darknes in the understanding Truth is simple and none but a simple heart is fit to close with it doublenes of spirit will never close with singlenes of truth c. 5. Enquire diligently search to finde out Gods minde in this When men will take paines in searching God will shew mercy in revealing Then shall you know if you follow on to know the Lord saith the prophet Hose 6.3 Hos 6.3 Most men walke in the way of their fathers and never enquire whether it be according to God yea or no. And some men with Pilate they will slightly enquire what is truth but will not take pains to finde it And some there are who with the young man in the Gospel when they heare it they will turne their backs on it either it will not stand with their profits or pleasures and such shall never be professours of truth 6. Walke answerable to those manifestations you have walke in conformity to that measure you have received As it was with talents so here Talents not improved instead of increasing them they were taken away he that will not doe what he knowes shall not in time know what to doe If then God reveale any point of his minde to you in any thing beware lest either carnall feare or carnall respects doe cause you to smother the notions of God or detayne the truth of God in unrighteousnes Let your practice come up to your light let your walking be as large as your knowing And when God sees us faithfull in a little then will he reveale more to us when he sees you walke up to the light which he hath made known then will he reveale his whole minde to you David was a man that God would reveale his will unto and he was a man ready to doe all the will of God Act. 14. And you have a plaine Scripture for this Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect that is upright be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you neverthelesse whereto we have attained let us walke by the same rule let us minde the same thing And so much shall serve for the fifth great Quaery I have stood long upon it because it is of such main concernment I
have yet another which is of great moment also and I have then done with this discourse The sixth and last Quaery is this viz. Quest 6. What waies God hath left us in his Word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons A Question certainly of great concernment among all the contentions of the times I know none of greater concernment then this viz. What are the boundaries of opinions It were a sad thing as our case stands if there were no bounds for errours and as fearfull a thing to goe beyond Gods bounds for the suppressing of them Certainly there are some means warranted and anointed of God for such ends but what those means are and where they are to be bounded there is all the controversie I finde learned and godly men differing each from other in this point and * Augustinus retractavit pristinam sententiam fuam quâ existimavit contra haereticos nâ—hil vi agenâ—um esse Aug. retract l 2. cap. 2.5 Epist 48 50. some also differing from themselves afterwards retracting what formerly they have held forth for truth in this point witnesse Augustines retractations Indeed it is a tender point it concerns the conscience a tender part against which who that hath any thing of God in him but trembles to sinne and who doth not fear to injure and offend It is a point of great subtilty which most cannot discern there are many labyrinths many winding subtilties in it and it is of no lesse intricacy having many other subtile and intricate disputes complicated and folded up in it Two of the main subtilties are founded upon those two places of Scripture one the 2 Cor. 13.12 We know but in part the other Rom. 14.23 What ever is not of faith is sin From both which it is argued We know but in part There will be difference in opinions these opinions have power on the conscience for what ever a man hath received he is bound to walk in it and who ever recedes from what he hath received for truth either for fear or for favour he sinnes against his conscience For what ever is not of faith is sinne Again we know but in part therefore no Councels on earth are infallible if not then may they err if they may err it is certainly our duty to try prove their determinations before we do approve them if our duty to try them then it is our duty to assent or dissent to them as those determinations shall appear to us to be consonant or dissonant to the Word of God and if it be our duty to assent or dissent as those results and determinations shall be evidenced to us to be or not to be of God then how can it be the duty of any to compell us to the contrary or to punish us for the doing of that which is our duty It is a controversie full of subtilties and intricacies and it is diversly asserted and as differently maintained according to the different apprehensions principles interests and ingagements of men Some cry up liberty for all opinions Others and most decry that Some would have a toleration or an allowance for lesser differences only Others doe rather desire an accommodation then a toleration and that differences may rather be healed and composed then allowed and tolerated among us Men are divers in their thoughts their thoughts being for the most part diversified according to the proportions and latitudes of their differences in opinions from generall received truths Men of lesser difference in opinion pleading only for a mercifull allowance of some Those of wider difference contending for a liberty of all opinions To both which we shall speak something in the following discourse For the present let us return to our Question propounded viz. What waies God hath lâ—ft us in his Word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons For the answer to which we shall in brief comprize those waies under two generall heads 1. Ecclesiasticall 2. Civil Both which we shall clear to be warranted and allowed of God to these ends viz. The suppressing of errour and the reducing of erroneous persons We shall begin with the first 1. First then there are some means ecclesiasticall which God hath warranted for these ends And herein we shall finde few to differ from us most concurring in this that God hath warranted some means in his Church for this end though indeed there is some dispute what those means are but there needs nor any among us for we freely concurre with any that those means which God hath appointed in his Church are of a spirituall nature and influence we utterly cast out and abominate all corporall or crumenall mulcts and say the Church hath no power to punish the body or to lay fines upon the estate or to deal with men at all as they stand in any civil or worldly respects The Church of Christ owns no such weapons in her warfare * Gregor de Vâ—lent in m â—ae disp 1. q. 11. punct 3. Azor. instit moral Tom. 1. l. 8. c. 14. It is for the man of sin to propagate his way and suppresse his adversaries with such fleshie weapons The Church of Christ knows not how to use any externall violence or outward force either to advance truth or suppresse errour though the Church be in readinesse to revenge all disobedience as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10.6 2 Cor. 10.6 yet not by such carnall weapons in such fleshie waies as these are Christ tells us that his Kingdome is not of this world And the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. The weapons of our warfare they are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God for the pulling down of strong-holds and bringing every thought in obedience to Christ So that spirituall means and remedies are onely to be used in the kingdom of Christ the Church of God For all other 1. They are improper not only in respect of the persons that are to uâ—e them but improper in their own nature And that because 1. They are externall means and those are too short for internall maladies 2. Besides they are heterogeneall they are diversi generis of a divers and different kinde the one carnall the other spiritual the object of one the body the estate of the other the soul and conscience 2. And secondly these were never ordained never appointed of God for such ends in his Church We cannot expâ—ct Gods blessing upon any thing further then it hath Gods ordination Now these were never ordained and anointed of Christ as means to be used in his Church and Kingdome for such an end and therefore there can be no blessing expected on them 3. Besides these means are unsutable to the ends to which they are intended fleshie means are unsutable to bring about spirituall ends the end of all Church Ordinances are not ruine but amendment not destruction but edification as the Apostle
saith 2 Cor. 13.10 and Chap. 10.8 2 Cor. 13.10 God hath given us this power for edification not for destruction the end of Church-Ordinances and administrations are not so much to punish sin as to reform the sinner not to punish mens evil as to make them good Zanch. de discip Eccles as Zanchy sets it down excellently in his Tractate de discip Eccles where he would shew the difference between the end of civil and ecclesiasticall or Church censure the end of this last is not the punishment of sin but the salvation of the sinner the edification of the Church the glory of God But the scope of the other is to punish sin it self neither doth it look to the salvation or damnation of the offender nay though the sinner repent yet the Magistrate is not to spare but to punish him for his offence committed But now the Church doth not punish though the person have sin'd unlesse he be obstinate and impenitent nor is her punishment for death but life and salvation and upon repentance the sinner is again received into the bosome of the Church So that you see here is a vast difference between the one and the other 4. Let me further adde to this that as these outward means are unsutable so they are unserviceable and insufficient to these ends for which they are pretended to be used insteed of humbling men and reforming men they provoke men harden men and make them more averse to reformation thus God blasts those means which are not of his own ordination the spirit will only work with his own tools he will only concurre with his own means and Ordinances and seeing these are not so it can never be expected that such means which are of a different kinde from the spirituall kingdome of Christ should ever produce and bring forth such effects as are proper only to that heavenly kingdome carnall flâ—shly means cannot produce and bring about divine and spirituall ends it is beyond their sphear out of their power they were never anointed of God to those ends nor can they ever be serviceable to produce them So that we shall willingly and cheerfully agree with any in this Discplina ecâ—lesiastica nihil statuit in hominum bona jura dignitates fortunas sed poena quae clavium potestate infligitur spiritualiâ— est que hominem internum sp rituale ejus statuÌ„ concernit Apol. Ius magist circa sacra c Exam. 4. pag. 109. Mat. 18 1â— that the Church hath no power over the bodies the estates the rights priviledges honours and dignities of men Nor upon any offence what ever doth their power extend to the punishing limiting or depriving them in any of these But now though these are not the wayes and weapons of the Church yet she hath waies she hath weapons and these warranted nay ordained of God for these ends viz. to suppresse errour and reduce erroneous persons And these Church means we will comprize under these three generall heads Some are Fraternall Pastorall Judiciall We will begin with the first viz. 1. The fraternall or brotherly means and that is set down in Mat. 18.15 Moreover if thy brother trespasse against thee go and tel him his fault between thee him alone where by trespassing is not meant personall and civil injuries as some have thought and I shall shew anon but spiritual scandals and offences and those not only such as are scandals in life but such also as are scandals in opinion unlesse you will say a mans life is a scandall but his doctrine be it what it will is not scandalous to us So that this is the first way to deal with an erroneous person we are to go to him if we take offence at his doctrine tell him of his errour convince him of it exhort him from it if this will not doe rebuke him and reprove him for it this we are commanded to doe to exhort one another and admonish one another c. and if we neglect this duty we are said to hate our brother as God interprets it Levit. 19.17 Lev 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not suffer sin upon him which holds true in errour in opinion as well as sinne in conversation And this is one way which God hath ordained to deal with erroneous persons which hath been very successefull to turn many an one from the errour of this way as might be evidenced in many examples both of Primitive and later times if it were needfull But we wâ—ll come to the second 2. A second kinde of means which God hath set up in the Church for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons is Pastorall God hath set up warranted and inabled a Ministery for this end to publish the doctrine of truth and to detect discover discountenance and decry erroneous doctrine and opinions they are to watch over your souls and if they see any root of bitternesse to arise any corrupt doctrine to break forth to set themselves against it to discâ—ver it to you warn you of it and if any of their people are in danger to be drawn away to labour to settle them and establish them in the truth if any are carried away to labour to reduce them by discovering their errour convincing them of it admonishing exhorting rebuking charging them in a Pastorall way and to wait with all patience if God will please to reclaim them And this you see was the Apostles injunction and their practice as you may gather 1 Tim. 1.2 3. 1 Tim. 1.2 3. 1 Tim. 4.11 1 Tim. 4.11 and especially 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine So 2 Tim. 2.24 25. 2 Tim. 2.24 25. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive at his will I will only adde another Tit. 1.9 10 11. Holding fast the faithfull word 1 Tim. 4.1 2 6 11. 1 Thess 5.14 as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gain-sayers for there are many unruly vain talkers whose mouths must be stopped Jud. 13. â—it 1.9 10 11. who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake So that you see another way which also hath been found to be very succesfull and efficacious to suppresse errour to reduce the erroneous to stablish the weak to confirm the strong in the truth of Christ There is a third and that is the
I will hint them to you and so proceed 1. Because the Apostles should then have overthrown their own decrees it was the end of these dâ—crees to free their consciences from the burthen of the law and not to binde their consciences to the Ceremonies of the law and that their end was to free them it appears 1. By the state of the Question propoundâ—d in the Councell Act. 15.1 5. 2. By the debates and suffrages themselves both which shews their intent was to free their consciences not to binde them It will not suffice what Bellarmine saith Non tollitur servetus quamvis â—uâ—etur Dominis Cham. That they went about to free them from the laws of Moses but yet to binde them under the commands of a Councell for this is not to set them free but to change their servitude 2. Because these precepts did expire when the reason of them was expired when the scandall was removed the precepts were expired which shews the cause of these decrees not to be any necessity in the things themselves but the avoidance of scandall 3. Because Paul who was at this Councell and understood these laws doth so expound them 1 Cor. 8.7 8. 1 Cor. 8.7.8 10.25 28 29. c. 1 Cor. 10.25 The Apostle there bids you What ever is set before you to eat and ask no question for conscience sake Yet saith he If any say that this which is set before you is offered in sacrifice to Idols eat not for conscience sake conscience I say not thine own but of others c. By which the Apostle shews it was not absolutely and in it self unlawfull to eat but unlawfull in a case because for the present it was offensive and scandalous to the conscience of the weak brethren And this shall suffice for the fifth agreement I will name but one more 6. We agree in this That a Synod hath no power to deprive a particular Church of its rights power priviledges but to direct maintain and strengthen them in them So that what ever is the proper and inherent right of a particular Congregation no Synod or Classes can weaken them in it much lesse invade them and deprive them of it it being their work to cherish and strengthen them in the execution of them The power of a Synod as I told you is not privative but cumulative It is not for lessening and weakening but for the strengthening and confirming the proper rights of particular Congregations It doth not take away due power but hinders or remedies the undue exercise of that power and directs and strengthens them in cases of difficulty in the right exercise of it And thus you see we doe agree in the negative What their power is not We will now come to the second What their power is What is the power wherewith God hath inabled a Synod as serviceable to this end the suppressing of errour and râ—ducing of erroneous persons You see here I am not to deal with the power of Synods in the severall branches laid down by holy and learned men viz. Dogmaticall Diatacticall And Criticall The first hath relation to Doctrine the second to Order the third to Censure which three-fold power they hold forth from Act. 15. In which seems to be discovered three great evils which were the occasion of that meeting of the Apostles and Elders 1. There was heresie taught some that had preached the necessity of observing the Ceremoniall law yea and telling them Except they kept the law of Moses they could not be saved v. 1. 2. There was the scandall and offence of the weak Jews with the alienation of their mindes from the Gentiles who did neglect to practise those Ceremonies 3. There was the schisme and stasis raised by those who troubled the Disciples vers 2. And according to this three-fold evil is discovered the footsteps of a three-fold power exercised and put forth in this meeting 1. The dogmaticall power confuting the heresie and vindicating of the truth vers 7 8 9 c. 2. The Diatactick power making a practicall Canon for avoiding the scandall and abstaining from such things as gave the occasion of it vers 20 29. 3. The Critick power vers 24. branding those teachers with the black mark of lyars subverters of souls troublers of the Church ver 24. A three-fold remedy answerable to the thrâ—e fold evil I am not here to enquire or deal with the power of Synods in this latitude laid down being onely to consider of their power as relating to this Question which is a power proper to the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons Nor shall I be able to enumerate all the particulars of their power as relating to this Question but I shall speak unto the chiefest under these three generall heads 1. They have a power relating to erroneous doctrines and opinions 2. They have a power relating to erroneous persons 3. They have a power in reference to erring Churches And of these in their order 1. They are indued and inabled with a power in relation to erroneous doctrines and opinions And we will lay it down in these three branches 1. A Synod hath power to examine enquire debate of any erroneous opinion or doctrine that is on foot and this I think is granted on all hands And Act. 15. is plain for this there was errour taught and the Apostles and Elders are said to meet together about this matter vers 6. they met to examine to consult and debate about it There is a two-fold examination the one private and personall the other ministeriall and authoritative every man hath power and is bound to exercise personall and conscientious examination but every one is not to exercise a ministeriall and authoritative only such as are chosen and called to it we speak here of ministeriall examination in which we shall finde few dissenters And say a Synod hath power to examine enquire debate of erroneous doctrins and opinions 2. A Synod hath power to determine and * Patres in concilio 〈◊〉 solâ—mmodâ— inquisiteres sed judâ—ces Deus judical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synodus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uâ—usquisque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daâ— de jud norm fid judge of errours A Synod hath not only power to examine but it hath power to judge There is a three-fold judgement 1. Absolute and supreme 2. Ministeriall and Synodicall 3. Private and personall the first is onely proper to God the last belongs to all the second to them only who are chosen and called to this work Though nothing is to be allowed contrary to the Word yet Synods have ministeriall judgement according to that Word They have power saith Junius to make inquisition and consult determine both of controversies of faith and manners And this also you see Act. 15. The Apostles and Elders in that consociation did not only enquire and
consult but they also judged and determined those opinions which had been taught to be disturbing destructive and subverting errours v. 24. 3. They have not only power to enquire and judge but they have power to censure and condemn errours All which is but yet a dâ—gmatiâ—all or doctâ—inall power of declaring and determining of truth or of errour which I conceive will be granted on all hands even by those who are most shie and tender in weighing forth â—ny power unto them And indeed Act. 15. doth make all this evident there they examined they judged they censured the errour which was broached among them And after ages they followed the same patern The first great Councel of Nice as I shewed you did censure and condemn the heresie of Arius The Councel of Ephesus did condemn the heresie of Nestorius the Councel of Constantinople did censure and condemn the heresie of Macedonius Euseb eccl hist l. 6. c. 42. The errour of Montanus was judged and condemned by many Synods in Asia So that this is cleer a Synod hath power to examine to judge to censure and condemn errours Obj. But it will be said Councels may erre That famous Councel of Nice it self had yet it's errours one of which was That heretikes should be rebaptized c. And if Councâ—ls may erre Concilium Nic enum primuâ—â— quod suit omnium nobilissi â—um â—eleber â—â—mum tamen erravit Whit. â—oâ—t 2 c 2. q 6 p 6 8 620. then may they censure and condemn truth as well as errour and that is fearfull Answ This is one of the Scepticall Objections of this age we have too many who themsâ—lves being sure in nothing seek to weaken all determinations what ever as if they because they are subject to errour might not be certain in truth but for answer 1. It 's granted Councels may erre and the best of Councels may erre That famous Councâ—l of Nice had it's errours which Whitaker in respect it was so famous is tender of uncovering But though they may erre doth it follow that they do alwaies erre This is a non sequitur 2. Again though they may erre doth this take away their right of judgement of errour and truth weaknesse and subjection to errour in judgement doth not take away right of judgement God hath allowed this way of judgement to determine of doubtfull doctrines and decide controversies and he hath said Let the spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 A place which Junius applies to this and the errour of some must not nullifie the ordinance of God 3. Though they may erre yet they are not so likely to erre as others an Assembly of godly and learned men met together in Gods way they are under a promise to be led into the way of all truth 4. Though they may erre in some particulars of lesser moment yet points of greater moment are clear and evident 5. In what they erre we are not to follow them Ministeriall judgement is theirs private and practicall judgement is yours and you are not to receive and embrace their determinations further then they shall appear to you to be consonant and agreeable to the Word of truth you are not to obey because they say it but because they say it authoritatively from Gods word Officiall authority they have as a Church of Christ but objective authority they have not so that what they say because they say it is therefore to be closed with Thus the Papists say not we We say that Synods have no peremptoâ—y absolute illimited authority to determine as they please but their power is Ministeriall and limited to the Word of God and we may say for our own practice Tantum valet â—ecretum Conâ—tlâ—j quantum vaâ—et ejus ratio Amâ—s The decrees of Councels are no farther binding then the reasons of them are evident to be of God And so much shall serve for the first generall branch of the power of Synods We come to the second 2. As they have power relating to erroneous doctrines so they hâ—ve power as relating to erroneous persons And this we will lay forth in these branches 1. They have power to conveâ—n them and call them before them if by their writings or otherwise their persons are known Indeed in Act. 15. we doe not reade of any summons of those false teachers nor was there any need for they may be conceived to be personally present and rebuked in the face of the Synod as subverters of souls And if they were not present to whom doth Peter speak vers 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples Certainly it was not to the Apostles and Elders they were not guilty of that fact but those who sought to obtrude the observation of the Mosaick Law upon the Brethren Again who were they that made much disputing in the Synod ver 7. sure it was not the Apostles nor any others besides themselves but had they not been there I thinke there is no question among rationall men but the Apostles and Elders conveened had a power to call them and that it was their duty to come Certainly if we be bound to be ever ready to give to any that asketh us a reason of the hope which is in us much more to such an Assembly as this authorized of God for such ends as these were So that I take the first for granted they have power to call erroneous persons 2. They have power to admonish and rebuke them this is evident also from Act. 15. those disturbers were rebuked in the face of the whole Assembly There is a three-fold rebuke Fraternall Concionall Judiciall the one is done by a brother the second may be done by one single Pastour as is commanded 1 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. Preach the Word reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering the last is done by a consociation of Pastours and Elders If one single Pastour hath power to rebuke authoritatively an erring brother how much more a consociation a Synod of Pastours and Elders 3. They have power doctrinally to censure such persons and to condemn them Thus you see in Act. 15. They censured those for lyars troublers subverters of souls And thus may a Synod censure and condemn an erroneous person Thus did the Councel of Nice censure and condemn Arius not only his errour but the person also * Tom. 1. epiâ—t ad ubâ—â—j orthodoxos Act. 1. ult Athanasius desired and vehemently supplicated his fellow-pastours of other Churches to meet together in a Synod to vindicate and redeem the Church from errour and that they would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by thâ—ir suffrages condemn and reject the authours of such mischiefs There are usually laid down three wayes of censuring and condemning erroneous persons 1. The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 politically when an erroneous person is censured by civil censures viz. to be imprisoned or to suffer in his
equall Nor would Christ have one Church to forego communion with another Church but upon presupposed censure some foregoing act of authority if he would not have a brother to renounce communion with a brother but upon some fore-going Church-authority Mat. 18.15 16. much lesse would he have a Church And as it is a censure and so declares authority in Synods so it is to me a censure proportionate to excommunication and so certainly the brethren would have the Churches to receive it otherwise I conceive they were not to withdraw communion from them Ames saith Ames cas consc l. 4 c 29 q. 11. th 26. Rutherf though whole Churches and members of another Church cannot properly be excommunicated by a Synod yet for manifest heresie a Synod may 1. Condemn 2. Forsake 3. Reject such a Church which saith he is proportionable to Excommunication And is Excommunication in the essence and substance of the act as the other brethren say Of which I shall speak more by and by Now in the close of all this Discourse of the power of Synods we have two main Objections which we shall endeavour to answer and so conclude this Discourse Ob. 1. But it will be said Are the Churches to obey such a sentence meerly because the Synod commands it If indeed a Synod were guidâ—d by such an extraordinary and infallible spirit as that in Act. 15. and could say with them It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and us then were the Churches bound to obey but our Synods now are not assisted with any such infâ—llible spirit nor have they that extraordinary concurrence of the spirit therefore we are not bound to obey Answ For the first part of this Objection viz. Whether the Churches are to obey because a Synod commands and enjoyns such things I answer No and demand what Protestant Authour ever said so Certainly the power of a Synod is not absolute but limited not magisteriall but ministeriall a power only in the Lord nor are we to be meer instruments moved by the will of those in authority as the Papists say but are morall Agents and ought no lâ—sse to obey in faith then they command in faith and are to give câ—re and diligence we be not accessary to unjust sentences lest we also partake in other mens sinnes But though we are not to obey meerly because they command yet are we to obey because we are commanded in the Lord A Synod is to be looked upon as a solemn ordinance of Christ And the Elders are to be looked upon as the Officers of Christ and they decreeing and commanding in the Lord Manuscr quoted by Rutherf Due right of Preâ—b p. 365. we are to obey Our brethren say thus much Though every particular Church of Christ hath right and power to exercise its own Ordinances Christ hath left them yet in difficult cases we are bound to seek advice of other Churches and to give so much authority to the concurrence of judgements in a Synod as shall and ought to be an obligation to us not to depart from any such resolutions as they shall make upon any consideration what ever but where our conscience and our peace with God is apparently concerned 2. For the second branch of the Objection which is taken from the different concurrence with and the assistance of the Spirit to our Synods and to that in Act. 15. they were guided by an extraordinary and infallible Spirit and could say It seems good to the holy Ghost and us our Synods have only at the best the ordinary assistance of the Spirit nay and may erre and therefore there is a vast difference An. I answer to this 1. This Argument strikes against all jurisdiction in a particular Congregation as wel as against all power in a Synod for a particular Congregation is not infallible neither they may erre in their administrations and therefore shall they not administer censures at all who will say this Nay 2. This strikes against all authoritative delivering of doctrine in single Pastours â—s well as the Dogmaticall and doctrinall power of delivering doctrine in Synods ordinary Pastours they have not that extraordinary concurrence of the spirit they are not infallible they may erre therefore are they not to preach 3. A man and so a Synod may be guided by an infallible spirit although his or their spirit be not infalliblâ— And the results of a Synod may be infallible and founded upon a certain word though a Synod it self be not infallible 4. I conceive these two are not convertible an infallible and an extraordinary spirit A man may be guided by an infallible yet not by an extraordinary spirit the ordinary presence and guidance of the spirit of truth in the word may be infallible yet but ordinary It is not an extraordinary assistance and guidance 5. But fifthly you suppose that here which cannot be made evident and clear that the Apostles were guided in this Synod by an extraordinary spirit or by the extraordinary assistance of the spirit The Papists indeed do affirm it and hence take a ground to inferre the infallibility of their Councels and Synods Non sequitâ—â— spiritus sanctus huic Concilio adsuit ergo aâ—iis adest VVhitak And many famous Protestant Authours in their Tracts against the Papists affirm the same and make use of this as a medium to prove the fallibility of Councels that Councels may erre because they are but men and subject to errour and not guided with such an extraordinary assistance of the spirit as the Apostles were in thâ—s great Councell a Chamier Tom. 3. l 15. c. 10. sect 3. Illis aderat extraordinem spiritus sanctus adeo ut quae illi propoâ—erent adâ—â— simplicitèr manarent at reliquis pastoribus adsistentia spiritus nulla extra ordinem One speaking of this Convention saith The holy Spirit was extraordinarily present with them in so much that whatever they propounded was simply Gods communications but God affords no such extraordinary assistance to ordinary Pastours The like Whitaker also b VVhitak de authoritate Sac. Scrip. l. 1. p. 78 etiam controv 3. q. 6 c. 2. p 610. Certum est hoc fuisse singulare concilium singularibus privilegiis donatum c. It is certain this Councel was a singular Councel and was endued with singular priviledges in regard of the presence of the Apostles Shall we compare saith he the Councel of Trent yea that famous Councel of Nice to this in which there were so many Worthies endued with the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost farre be it from us to make such a comparison And a little after he saith c Omnes definâ—tiones ecrâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scripturis pares fuere Ibid p. 115. All their determinations were inspirations of God and equall to the Scriptures And in this opinion runs the stream of our famous Writers against the Papists With reverence to the vast abilities of these famous
the Magistrate is to follow jubendo sanciendo cogendo in commanding â—stablishing and compelling I am sure there is more reason that the one go before then there is necessity the other should follow after Yet mistake me not I speak not this to countenance the skepticalnesse of these times as if a man should be afraid to speak write act against any opinion what ever for fear it be a truth I leave that to them who have their God and religion to seek Nor doe I thinke Gamaliels speech to be so good divinity as many make it Act. 5.38 39. to me he seemes no better then a meer Polititian and a nullifidian by his speech doubting whether the Apostles doctrine was from God or men Such Skepticalnesse is better in Philosophy then in divinity Certainly we are not to fluctuate and doubt in a pyrrhonian vacillation and uncertainty As there is such a duty so there is such a sinne to be ever learning and never comming to the knowledge of the truth And it is a greater judgement then men are a ware of to be given up to this Skepticalnesse of spirit certain in nothing how ever men look upon it yet sure it is no better then a diffusive Atheisme Scruples are not ever the arguments of a broken heart but some times of a broken head and how ever men look upon such a spirit yet sure I am such a spirit argues 1. Weaknesse of knowledge of the truth 2. And slendernesse sleightnesse of faith in the assenting to the truth of the Word and 3. In many it is no better then a temptation to divert and turn the stream of their desires affections endeavours from things certain to the search and enquiry into things uncertain that they may spend their money for that which is not bread and their labour for that which will not satisfie Isa 55.2 And I wish that those who are now laying out their money in such wayes would hear God speaking to them in the heat of the market why do you spend your mony for that which is not bread for my own part if I were an assertour of liberty and against all coercive power yet I should abominate this medium to prove and defend it by which overthrows all religion and wounds the soul in the belief and certainty of all known truth Certainly there are errours there are heresies there are strong delusions which carry many away yea and these errours these heresies may be known els truth cannot be known a man may be as certain that this or that is an errour as that this or that is a truth he that saith we cannot be certain of the one doth or would alike say we cannot be certain of the other It is easily granted That we know but in part yet we may know certainly though not fully this is knowledge in part hath respect to the measure and degrees of knowledge not to the nature and certainty of our knowledge in this life fulnes of knowledge is not required to acting but certainty of knowledge though that be capable of improvement also there may be certainty of knowledg though there want fulnes of knowledge it is not required I should know all the will of God but know that this which I do is the will of God And of that I speak when I say the Magistrate is to act knowingly that is he is to act from the certainty of faith though not from fulnesse of knowledge 1. He is to be fully perswaded that what he opposeth is an errour 2. That it is such an errour as is the object of his power to suppresse And 3. That he doth a thing pleasing to God in the suppressing of it And this certainty of knowledge will be sufficient to inable a man to act in this nature though there want fulnesse of knowledge And so much shall serve for the second he is to act knowingly 3. This power must be dispenced wisely and prudentially Not only justly and knowingly but wisely and prudentially And this prudential dispencing of this power lies in these three things viz in the dispensation of it with distinction 1. Of errours 2. Of persons 3. Of penalties 1. It must be dispenced with distinction of errours Certainly it is not every difference in judgement or practice no nor every difference from the truth no nor every errour maintained that is to be the object of the Magistrates power this were to deny a Christian latitude to men this were to kill flies with beetles The remedy may be worse then the evil is It is said of Domition the Roman Emperour that he spent his time in killing of flies it was a work unworthy such a person as he was Certainly the Roman Empire was not so much disturbed with a flie It is unworthy the power of a Magistrate to make every puny difference every dissent from the apprehended truth or common rule the object of his coercive power Without doubt there is a latitude to be afforded to men of different judgements yea and of different practices in smaller matters otherwisâ— this power in being a relief would be a scourge to the Churches of Christ There must be a distinction made of errours I have told you that some were errours in doctrine some in practice And both these either such as were principall or lesse principall either fundamentall or circafundamentall or but circumstantiall I shall not run into the many distinctions thâ—t might be made Certainly there are some errours of which I may as well as of some truths that their suppression is their growth this way of lessening them is the way of increasing them That by which you thinke to be their death doth but give them life And this ariseth 1. Either from the crossenesse of mens spirits Nitimur in vetitum Men love still to taste of forbidden fruit 2. Or from the conscientiousnesse of men they are ready to thinke there is some good in that way that is opposed and suppressed the world lies under prejudice it hath seldome been a friend to truth And that jealousie that is in men concerning earthly powers having so many interests and ingagements to tempt and bias them doth perswade much with men who contemn the world to thinke there is something in that which the world as they look upon it doth oppose 3. Or it may arise from the rigorous and violent causes that may be used against some opinions which hath been ever harsh to men of tender and conscientious spirits Insomuch that often times those opinions which otherwise would expire and breath out of themselves By this means their date is lengthened and their asserters increased and breaches are multiplied And what ever others doe yet God forbid that we who but even now came out from under a cruell tyranny should ever so farre forget as to be oppressours of others even for differences of the like latitude which we complained under and desired relief of but could not enjoy it Yet I speak not
this to countenance toleration of all kinde of errours Errours are to be suppressed yet are they to be dealt withall in distinctions some but not all There are four kinde of errours which I conceive fall under this power and are not to be suffered 1. Such as are eminently and highly dishonourable to God whose honour should be more dear to us then our lives Of which sort are blasphemy idolatry c. These men have sinned away the very light of nature they have plucked up the common fences and bounds of nature and are not to be suffered 2. Such as are subversive to faith and godlinesse Carnall weapons are good enough for carnall opinions just it is that those men should be commanded who are under no command of conscience that they should fall under civil power over whom the power of God and the power of conscience hath no command 3. Such as are destructive to civil government Men whose opinions are destructive to a State may justly be destroyed by a State be their plea of conscience what it will and upon this ground are Jesuites and Priests cut off with us because their opinions are subversive to government and tend to seduce the people from their allegiance and to bring all under the vassalage of Rome they teach that every one is bound to resist an heretike of which sort they make all Protestants arctissimo conscientiae vinculo with the stâ—ictest bond of conscience and that hereticall and excommunicated Princes by the Pope may be killed by their Subjects that no faith is to be kept with heretikes c. All which tends to the subversion of any civil Protestant State 4. All such as are evidently disturbing to the peace of the kingdoms Such as cuts asunder the sinews of humane society these certainly are not to be born withall And for other differences if they be not destructive to faith and the power of godlinesse or if those differences be not seditiously and turbulently promoted but managed humbly prudentially holily though they may be many from the common received rule I say as another before me in the words of Job Job 3.4 Let that day be darknesse let not God regard it from above neither let the light shine upon it wherein it shall be said that the kingdome of Christ is divided that the children of God are turn'd oppressours and persecutours one of another And so much of the first 2. This power is to be dispenced with distinction of persons I thinke these considerations might come in 1. The quality 2. The quantity of them But I will deal only with the first 1. The quality of the persons And here it is to be considered whether they be men of tender or of turbulent spirits whether they be conscientious or contentious men whether the scruple be the fruit of an erroneous judgement or perverse will There is no question but there ought to be all tendernesse to tender consciences he that pursues his conscience though he erre in things of lesse moment may be saved but he who acts against his conscience in things of the same indifferency condemns himself And certainly though other considerations may be taken in as whether they be men of godly of peaceable lives whether they be meek and humble or proud and impetuous yet this is the grand and main enquiry whether they be men truly conscientious whether they are men and women truly of tender consciences There is no doubt but many use conscience as an empty plea and set conscience as a bulwark against all and will say This is my conscience and what hath any man to doe with my conscience I am only accountable to God for that and not to any man Thus many get hold of conscience and shelter themselves under the plea of conscience We read when Joab would shelter himself from the wrath of Solomon he runs to the horns of the Altar there he takes refuge sanctuary yet was not Solomon afraid to deal with an ungodly person though he had taken a holy refuge though he would not leave his refuge yet his refuge left him and could not be a shelter to him There may be many thus who seek refuge for their errours by the plea of conscience whom yet their refuge delivers up and laies them naked notwithstanding all their refuge It would be worth enquiry how we might finde out conscience in an errour from an errour in conscience A man truly conscientious from a man pretending conscience Though something have been said by others relating to this yet I shall give you my thoughts on it in these few discoveries I. Conscience in an errour is truly conscientious in an errour 1. He hath been conscientious in the entertaining 2. And he is conscientious in the maintaining of his opinion 1. He hath been truly conscientious in the entertaining of an opinion he hath not been byassed with corrupt affections with carnall interests with secular aims and ends he hath studied read prayed and hath taken up his judgement as the answer of all these He hath stript himself when he hath gone to read hath carried no minde thither but went to take a minde thence he went resolved to yeeld up himself and to be cast into the mould of truth he went willing to be conquered and fall down under the light and thought it spoyl enough to be the spoyl of truth When he went to pray he stript himself also and went without a prepossessed or engaged heart ready to receive Gods stamp and goe which way so ever God should encline him he sought not God as the Israelites enquired of the Lord Jer. 42. with a heart preresolved and preingaged to goe his own way but did wholly yeeld up himself to goe the way of God And now hath taken up his way as the result of all his pains and all his prayers 2. He is conscientious in the maintaining of his opinion He doth not maintain it perversly proudly factiously but meekly and humbly though stedfastly and strongly He acts in all his dissentings with conscience and humility he will not vassall any truth of God to maintain his errour he will not make use of any means unlawfull to advance his own opinion but you shall see the same conscience in the maintaining that was in the entertaining of his opinion Now then on the contrary if men have been bribed into an opinion tempted in by base ends and worldly advantages if they have been byassed by interests of friends relations or any thing without them if they have taken up an opinion because others took it up c. it is a sure signe that this man is not conscientious in his errour And I know not what should put the difference if a man may be bribed into an errour why may he not be frighted into a truth at least from his errour inasmuch as it is better to be frighted into truth then to be bribed into errour And what I say of entertaining I may say of