done if you require it hereafter In the mean time this will render it mighty necessary and wise not to consider erroneous doctrines only in their fair appearances but to examine carefully what the consequences and effects of them are And so on the other side likewise there are many doctrines in the Christian Religion Orthodox and Divine that perhaps at first sight may appear very irrelative to practice or at least of no great moment to the purposes of life Yea which to some men may appear unreasonable and purely speculative which yet when a man hath examined closely and consider well of may be found very important and greatly concerning and very conducive to many real purposes of goodness And it will not be easie to instance in any which I cannot shew to be conducive to some great instances of holiness and whose truth and divinity I dare not undertake to make good by the same 3. The third Rule is that we be sincere and honest in our considering doctrines before we bring them to this standard I mean that we bring with us no other design in the world but really to know what such doctrines are and tend unto For if any other thing be had in aim any other design or prejudice be permitted to mingle with our searches into these things there is no doubt but we shall deflect and warp from the truth in judgment A very little skill if there be not a great deal of honesty will enable a man to expose any doctrine and those men that can so easily wrest the holy Scriptures doubtless can as easily pervert any doctrine though never so holy Facile est invenire baculum said the old adage and it holds true both ways he that comes either with a prejudice against or a prepossession for any doctrine will easily find faults against the one though never so rationally and something to justifie his kindness to the other though never so weakly asserted And when men will permit interest or passion or humour or prejudice or any such thing to sit upon the Tribunal and have a hand in judging doctrines it is not to be expected that they should be judged according to the real merits and truth of them A gift saith Solomon blindeth the eye Eccles 7.7 or destroyeth the heart and a receiver of them is seldom upright And it is equally true of any other by-respect or sinister inclination Nothing but a fixed resolution and purpose to be honest and just and truly to inform our selves can enable us to be true to our discoveries and pronounce aright concerning doctrines in this case It was no very unreasonable project in the Platonists of old to institute some previous purgations of mind to be submitted unto by those that were in quest of truth well knowing that till the mind of man was unprejudiced and free it was not capable of Divine irradiations nor in a capacity to understand truth And upon the same reason Aristotle prohibited young men the study of Moral Philosophy till they had in some competent measure subdued the vigour and tamed the hurry of their animal passions and sensual inclinations And it were very well if men would do something like this free themselves from all manner of partial anticipations when they are going to consider and judge for their Souls And let me add Sir there was never any age wherein the observation of this Rule was more necessary never a time certainly wherein the effects of partiality and prejudice more discovered themselves to the warping of mens judgments and clapping false biasses upon them so that they either cannot or will not impartially and truly weigh things or deal with any degree of candor by them wherein unjustly to pervert and misrepresent Books is to answer them and the fastening on them a design which the Author never thought of a sufficient confutation of them When men read Books on purpose to misunderstand and traduce them and think the most effectual way to baffle and defeat them is to buffoon and turn them into Ridicule Let me give you a few specimens of this though I doubt not you have already observed them your self Can you think we should ever have heard of a Rehearsal Transprosed or an Ill Play thought a good answer to a serious Book had not this perverse humour possessed some men that were proud of their great wits and too fanciful to be able truly to consider things Could any honest-hearted man that sincerely read over an excellent Book called The Design of Christianity ever have traduced it as a plain undermining the purpose of the Gospel Had we ever heard of an Antisozzo or a Melius Inquirendum if that Author had had as much honesty as he thinks he hath wit or considered the doctrines in those Books he would expose with half as much integrity as he hath taken pains unworthily to misrepresent them Can you imagine Satan would ever have been brought upon the stage complementing Sherlock if the Devil had not mightily assisted one Danson to misunderstand and pervert the design of that Book Could that perfidious doating Exil'd Frenchman have ever espied and reported such advances of the Church of England to Popery had not himself made greater advances first towards Frenzy or Knavery Or the late furious Collector of the Invidious Parallels made such a clamor with them and seek so basely to disturb the Ashes and deface the Monuments of those that rest in honour but that something made a noise in his own head and hindred him from hearing or attending to the checks of his own Conscience for such a piece of injustice I pray God Sir deliver you and me and bless us from falling into the hands of such men who read Books on purpose to misunderstand them and consider doctrines only to expose them who react the cruelty and injustice of Ancient Persecutors that cloathed the poor Christians in skins of Beasts and then glutted their malice and envy in worrying of them And deal with Books as Procrustes did with men rack them till they come up to their own humour or cut them in pieces for not doing so Who first tincture their own eye and then apprehend every thing to be of the same colour or having their own palates vitiated reproach as unsavoury and bitter every thing that comports not with the ill affections of it If it be my hard fate to fall into the hands of such men and be treated by them as some of my Brethren have been I will yet have this to comfort and support me that it is not truth or honesty but spleen and malice only that persecute me I should be concerned indeed should I offend the first but if men acted by the other speak evil of me I know who hath bade me rejoyce and be glad CHAP. IX The Fourth Fifth and Sixth Rules are mentioned and insisted on 4. THE fourth Rule is that doctrines and Modes of Religion formed by them be not considered only
full of what I mean when I thus speak For as the Text speaks both of the Spirit of truth and of error so I shall understand the Proposition both ways with reference to both these 1. Directly and positively The Spirit of truth enclines to holiness and every doctrine that proceeds from this Spirit doth some way or other conduce to that great end And when doctrines upon trial are found to be subservient to make men good and regularly holy then they bear the stamp and impress of truth upon them and this is a safe way by which to judge the truth of them and conclude them Orthodox 2. Oppositely or negatively Whatever Doctrine or Opinion doth tend to the contrary either teaching or encouraging sin and disobedience in all or in any one particular instance of it is certainly false and proceeds from the Spirit of Error and let men be never so zealous for it and confident in recommending and obtruding of it upon others yet this is a sufficient warrant for every private Christian to reject it and condemn it as spurious and dangerous For the Spirit of Error inclines men to disobedience and whatever doctrine doth so doth proceed from it 3. Comparatively Thus where different Doctrines and Opinions offer themselves to us it is a safe way to examine carefully which of them conduceth mostly to make men good and accordingly to make our estimate of them accepting that which is best attended with holiness and a necessity of it and rejecting that which is any way failing herein And now by this you may see my sense of the Proposition how I make obedience and holiness the Shekel of the Sanctuary by which all other measures are to be tried I make Gods Law not only the Rule of what ought to be done but I would have every thing that is to be believed brought unto it examin'd how it comports with it and is subservient to the great design of it and according either to be accepted or rejected But before I come to shew the truth and reasonableness of this Assertion and to prove this to be the safest Rule for all Christians to judge and examine Truth and Error by there are Two things which I shall lay down as Postulata's or things intimated to us from this Text and of great advantage in order to the assuring the truth of the great Proposition 1. That God hath left us some Rule to judge the truth and falshood of Opinions and Doctrines by 2. That this Rule is obvious and plain and intended for the guidance and benefit of all men 1. That God hath not left us without some sure Rule to judge the truth and falshood of Opinions and Doctrines by This is a truth which no man that hath any honourable and becoming Sentiments of the goodness and wisdom of God can in any measure doubt of He whose gracious Providence watcheth over all things certainly is regardful also of man He that hath implanted and put such an instinct into the nature of all other things as enables them to know what is beneficial and hurtful to their respective natures and according to pursue and embrace the one and avoid and arm themselves against the other hath certainly not been wanting to man in this great Instance but enabled him to discern truth from falshood as well as good from evil and to do both these in Morality as well as Nature i. e. to judge for his Soul as well as his Body And the truth is if it were otherwise man were of all things certainly the most miserable and a Religious man were the most miserable and pitiable above all other men And it would reflect great dishonour upon God to provide for the safety and conduct of man in all his little concerns but to leave him wholly unprovided for and exposed to deception in that which is the most sublime and momentous of all And such we know is his Religion it being the way in which he is to serve his God and assure his blissful love and favour and thereby secure the Everlasting welfare and happiness of his Soul I shall only desire Two things further to be considered in this case 1. That God hath plainly told us that there ever will be Errors in the world and that no age shall want Impostors and deceivers to broach them and endeavour to entrap people with them This he hath resolved for wise ends to permit still to be And can it then be supposed that God should not furnish his servants with an Antidote against them Can any think so unworthily of God as to believe that he hath exposed the beloved of his Soul and the objects of his tenderest compassions and regards naked and wholly defenceless without any thing to secure themselves against these plagues This were indeed to overact the savage cruelty of the Hircanian Tiger and transcribe the weakness of the silly Ostrich Job 39.14 which leaveth her Eggs in the Sand exposed to the foot of every Beast or Traveller to be crushed at pleasure Nothing can well be thought of that is really more injurious and reflective upon Divine Providence than this is 2. God hath not only told us of these things but cautioned us against them and strictly commanded us to beware of them as is evident to any that consults the holy Scriptures Now can it enter into the hearts of men to believe that God that commands this should not provide some way by which it might be done I could never yet though educated when such doctrines were much in vogue bring my thoughts quietly to believe that God would command utter impossibilities which were far to exceed the cruelty of the Egyptian Task-masters which himself hath condemned and so tragically declaimed against And I no way doubt but that if he have commanded us to prove all things to try the Spirits to keep our selves from being infected with the error of the wicked that he hath also furnished us with power and provided a means how we may do all these things God certainly never commands things in vain nor will he tantalize the endeavours of his people nor make himself sport to illude the hopes and endeavours of poor mortals by putting them upon Acquists whose glories though they may excite yet their impossibilities do discourage and frustrate the most vigorous endeavours And that man would have a strange notion of God that would fancy his commanding us to take heed of being deceived and yet not direct us to means by which we might do so 2. That this Rule is obvious and plain and intended for the guidance and benefit of all men Hereby know we c. And certainly he intends not hereby only himself or Apostles like himself but all those whom in verse 1. he had exhorted to try the Spirits and not presently to believe every pretence of it which is equally the interest and duty of all men It is true the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and 't
pretences of knowledge bring them to the Law and to the Testimony and if in any thing they differ from that then there is no morning or light in them but they arise out of the infernal specus and are suggested by the Spirit and Prince of darkness This seems to me to be very clear and yet I shall add something more that this was not only appointed to be the Rule of judging in all ordinary differences about doctrines but in the most extraordinary also that could possibly happen I shall instance in Two that were the chiefest of all pretensions to Prophecy and working of Miracles These were indeed extraordinary cases and therefore though the judging of them did not belong to every private man but only to the great Sanhedrim as learned men have clearly proved yet it will be very much to our purpose if we can prove that even this great Consistory was to judge by this Rule of the Truth or Falshood of both of them And first for Prophets I think the case is sufficiently clear from that place of Moses Deut. 13. from verse 1 to 6. from which if you read and consider it well you will be able to make this Collection that neither the predicting of a future Event no nor the coming of that to pass according to the prediction are safe and warrantable things to judge a Prophet by for if that Prophet entice any way to Idolatry or deliver any thing that may draw them away from their duty in walking after the Lord and fearing him and keeping his Commandments and obeying his voice he is to be rejected yea to be stoned as an Impostor and a deceiver So that the truth of the Prophet and the divinity of his prophecy was to be judged only or at least chiefly by the consonancy thereof to the Law of God This is a thing that I judge worth our taking notice of at this time Alas if the bold pretenders to prophecy in this Age could make this plea for themselves that things fall out exactly according to their predictions what a great noise would they soon make how mightily would they boast and plead and perhaps believe too themselves to be true Prophets And yet God himself tells us this is no safe and sure Rule to judge men true Prophets by For the Spirit of Error may possibly predict many things and the Events answer the predictions and many times we know it hath been thus And we do not know how far the skill of the Devil may extend in this matter Besides God hath told us that he many times permits such things to come to pass that he may thereby try the love and fidelity of men Cause these to be a punishment unto all those that are unreasonably fickle and unconstant and on the other hand that as the Apostle speaks in case of Heresies those that are cordial and approved may be made known 1 Cor. 11.19 I know there are many Rules laid down by the Jewish Rabbies and others after them for the trial of Prophets and a great stir made about them But he that will considerately read them over as he will find this always mentioned as one Rule so he will find that it is the chiefest and safest and that to which all at last are forced to flee The Second case that I chose to instance in was the case of Miracles for that there are true and lying wonders the Scripture clearly assures us But how to distinguish betwixt these is really a very great and perplexing difficulty and some men have taken a great deal of pains to give directions herein And indeed must do so still until they come to fix and rest upon this For when all is done this certainly is the easiest and safest too namely to consider what the effects and designs of them are if they have Divine effects upon men especially if they only design to make men holy and good or to attest a doctrine that teacheth men how to be so then they carry the clearest stamp of Divinity upon them that can be but if they tend in any measure to the contrary either to encourage men in sin or attest any doctrine that teacheth any thing contrary to the holy Law and Precepts of God then they are to be suspected and rejected as immediate effects of the Spirit of delusion CHAP. V. A further discourse of Miracles and of their Evidence and how to know which are Divine and which not An addition to all from the Nature of Heresie and wherein the Notion of it doth chiefly consist BUT this Sir may perhaps by you be thought too little to be said on this great subject of Miracles for the whole World doth look upon them to be Divine Testimonies sufficient Evidences of truth and able to assure the verity gain assent to and entertainment of any doctrine that they are intended to attest The Christian Church in all Ages hath spoken great things of them and gloried in them and argued with great assurance the Divinity and Truth of the Christian Religion from them And he would certainly do a great disservice to Christianity that should go about in any measure to weaken the testimony of them And therefore Sir that I may not suffer under any of these prejudices I shall a little further enlarge this discourse of them and what I have to say that it may be distinct and plain shall be contained in these subsequent propositions 1. I do most readily grant and cordially believe that Divine Miracles are certain Evidences of Truth For it is no way reasonable to suppose that God should annex his Seal to attest any thing that is untrue Whatever God asserts must needs for that very reason be true were there none else and all the World is agreed in their belief of this So that I take it Miracles are not added to confirm the truth of what God hath declared but rather to convince men that he doth declare such things or to attest the Divine Commission of those that are his Instruments therein 2. But then secondly I do as assuredly believe that they are not the only Evidences of truth A Divine doctrine may carry in it many things that may be as clear signatures and ought to be as convincing characters of Truth as immediate Miracles are This may in some measure be collected from that parabolical discourse of Abraham to the rich man in Hell Luke 16.31 If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe though one rose from the dead Intimating that those doctrines in Moses and the Prophetick writings had as much Evidence of Truth and as clear Convictions thereof in them as the miraculous appearance of one from the dead could give to them But there is a clearer place in the Gospel to assure this upon for our Saviour doth in one place viz. John 15.22 as much aggravate the guilt of the Jews Infidelity in not believing his heavenly pure doctrine
so for another I can the more easily comply with your commands and minister something towards this great purpose because it so falls out that I shall but recollect my thoughts and transcribe with very little variation what I have delivered not long ago in my own Congregation on this subject And therefore I must beg you to accept some Sermon-Notes instead of a formal Letter and to pardon me that I address to you as one of my own People Only Sir my respects will not suffer me to thrust you into the common croud something will be added which was not then delivered and you will perceive it by being addressed only to your self PIETY The Best Rule of ORTHODOXY CHAP. I. The great need of every Christians taking heed of Error The difficulty in our present circumstances of doing so The greatness of that Charity that endeavours to assist in order thereunto The pitching upon a Rule whereby every man may do from that place of the Apostle S. John 1 John 4.6 HE that seriously considers what the condition of Religion is at this day in that part of the World that calls it self Christian how almost all the Congregations therein are divided among themselves and have considerable differences upon the account of which they separate each from other forming themselves into distinct Societies according to their different Sentiments and ways of Worship And withal considers how confident all parties are of the truth and safety of their own way with how much clamour and noise they plead for it and with how much confidence they declaim against all that is opposite to it While he is certain that some yea a great many of them are certainly mistaken it being impossible that so many and so very contrary ways should all be true He I say that seriously considers all this may very well subscribe to the reasonableness of that excellent advice of our Blessed Lord when predicting these things Take heed and beware that no man deceive you Mat. 24.4 And may very well look upon the Ingemination not only as designed to enhance his care that he be not deceived but as an intimation also how difficult it will be to avoid his being so And truly he that hath any due regard to his own Soul or any just sense of the present state of things must needs subscribe to the justness of the Ingemination upon both accounts For the welfare of the Soul in all its actings doth mightily depend upon the Principles that it chuseth to act by and these are only then safe when they are the results of a sound and right judgment which that judgment can never be that is Imposed upon by deceit and cheated by Error So that the necessity of attending unto the Caution upon that sole account is very great And yet that necessity is heightened much by the other for where there are various ways that offer themselves to us and none of these want their specious pretences but are recommended to us with all possible art and confidence there the chusing and hitting upon the right must needs be difficult and the avoiding deception not very easie The Consideration of these two things hath caused me oftentimes with some more than ordinary concern to reflect upon the Condition of a private ordinary Christian at this time and with a great deal of pity to compare his state to that of a Traveller in an unknown road full of many various and different turnings which must not only needs distract and puzle his thoughts which of them to chuse but create in him a great deal of fear lest he chuse amiss And as compassion naturally engageth to charity and pitying a mans misery prompts us to thoughts how to redress it So I have many times thought with my self that man would do a good office and a thing hugely conducive to the welfare of men that could pitch upon and prescribe a way how to remedy this great Inconvenience with ease and safety For as the erecting the Statuae Mercuriales by the Ancient Romans in all common Roads upon which were not only steps by which Travellers might mount their Beasts and go on but inscriptions also to direct them which were the right paths was then accounted and is to this day remembred as a very high instance of the kindness and candor of that great people So certainly the doing the like in this case for the poor Christian Traveller would be so much the greater instance of charity by how much his way is more perplex'd and intricate and the danger of his erring the greater and more momentous He that shall undertake to do this for him may well expect his prayers for his success and if he should erre in doing his utmost in it may as well hope for his compassion and pardon If it can be done it is really a great benefit and the design of it a great charity and if a man chance to erre in it yet an error that results from charity may well expect a gentle and candid censure How to do this hath been a thing that hath long lain upon my thoughts and a case that I have much consulted about I have been thinking what expedient to pitch upon what to substitute that might bear the stress of such an Enquiry what Oracle to erect to which men might safely commit the resolution of all difficulties of this nature and with confidence repair unto for a full and safe satisfaction in them What the issue of all these consultations and thoughts hath been I have determined this Lent to acquaint you withal And I shall take the rise of what I purpose to deliver to you of this nature from the words of the great S. John 1 John 4.6 who lived to see the actual accomplishment of his Lord 's great prediction that false Prophets should come into the world and had the honour to be the great prescriber of Antidotes against the infection of those deceivers And in that very place where he purposely undertakes this doth prescribe what I am now going to insist upon as a sure remedy a certain Criterion by which we may judge Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of error CHAP. II. The Collection drawn from the preceeding Text. Piety the best Rule of Orthodoxy The sense in which the Proposition is to be understood Two Postulata's in order to the proof of it God hath provided such a Rule for men to judge by and the reasons urging a belief that he hath done so This Rule must be for the benefit and guidance of all men FOR these words of S. John I think we may safely draw this Collection Piety is the best Rule of Orthodoxy or plainer thus The Conduciveness of Doctrines unto Godliness is the best and safest Rule by which to judge the truth of them But before I enter immediately upon the larger handling of this Proposition I shall stay you a little while that I may give you the