portion of some soules in the Congregation they dared not mention them 4ly When your profession of some truths will take off mens hearts from other that are more weighty and necessary The rule of the Apostle Rom. 14. 1. holds forth this Receive not those men who are weake in faith to doubtfull disputations this may hinder them in the great things of the Kingdome of God Righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost vers 17. As if the Apostle should say Let them be wel established in them but these doubtfull disputations will hinder them in such things as these are Fiftly when my profession at this time in this thing is like to hinder a more useful profession at another time in another thing Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind he that is wise keeps it in till afterward It was the wisdome of Paul when he was at Athens not presently to break out against their Idols hee staid his due time and yet all the time hee kept in his uprightnesse in the hatred of Idolatry as much as ever Sixtly when our profession will cause publick disturbance and that to the godly the disturbance of mens corruptions who will oppose out of malice is not much to be regarded When it was told Christ the Pharisees were offended he cared not for it but he made a great matter of the offence of any of his little ones When men who love the truth as well as wee shall not only be against what we conceive truth but shall be offended and that generally at it if we have discharged our own consciences by declaring as we are called to it what we conceive the mind of God we should sit down quietly and not continue in a way of publique offence and disturbance to the Saints The rule of the Apostle will come in here Let the spirit of the Prophets be subjects to the Prophets wee should wait till God will some other way or at some other time have that prevaile in their hearts and consciences of his people which we conceive to be truth and they are now so much offended at There could never be peace continued in the Church if every man must continually upon all occasions have liberty openly to make profession of what he apprehends to be a truth never have done with it though the Church which is faithfull and desires unfeignedly to honour Christ and his truth be never so much against it In divers of these cases the consideration of that Text Eccl. 7. 16. is very sutable Be not righteous over much neither make thy selfe over wise why shouldst thou destroy thy selfe Amongst other things this is included in the scope of the Holy Ghost when you apprehend a thing to be a truth do not think that you are bound all times upon all occasions to the utmost profess practise promote that truth without any consideration of others being carried on with this apprehension it is a truth come of it what will whatsoevâ— becomes of me whatsoever trouble shall follow upon it I must and will professe it and publish it again and again to the death In this you had need look to your spirit in this you may be over-just and make your self over-wise though there may be some uprightnesse in your heart some love to Christ and his truth yet there may be mixture of your own spirit also you may stretch beyond the rule this is to be over-righteous to think out of a zeal to God and his truth to goe beyond what God requires It is true at no time upon no occasion though thy life and all the lives in the world lay upon it thou must not deny any the least truth but there may be a time when God doth not require of thee to make profession of every thing thou believest to be a truth You will say This tends to loosness to lukewarmness to time-serving men pretending and pleading discretion grow loose and remisse and so by degrees fall off from the truth Vers 17. Let men take heed of that too Be not over-much wicked neither be thou foolish As you must be carefull not to goe beyond the rule so take heed you fall not off from it so you may grow wicked and foolish yea very wicked over-wicked God will meet with you there too Wherefore vers 18. It is good thou shouldst take hold of this yea also from this withdraw not thine hand Take both be carefull of thy self in both but especially mark the last clause of the 18. vers He that feareth God shall come forth of them all The feare of God possessing thy heart will help thee in these straits thou shalt by it be delivered from being ensnared by thy indiscreet sinfull zeale and it shall likewise keep thee from bringing misery upon thy selfe by falling as farre on the other hand to looseness and time-serving The fear of God will ballast thy soul even it will carry thee on in a way that shall be good in the eyes of the Lord and of his Saints There is a natural boldnes and a mixed zeal in many who are godly that carries them on in those ways that causes great disturbance to others and brings themselves into great straits and snares and these men are very ready to censure others of nesse and loosenesse who do not as themselves do but this Scripture reproves them shewing that it is not through fleshly wisdome and providing for ease that is the cause others do not as they do but the fear of God in a right way ballasting their spirits God will own his fear to be in their hearts ordering them aright when thy disorderly mixed zeale shall receive rebuke from Christ But doth not Christ say Hee came into the world to witnesse to the truth and is not every truth more worth then our lives That man who in the former five cases wherein profession is shewed to be our duty shall witness to the truth he shewes that truth is indeed precious to him and gives that testimony to the truth that he was born for although in the six latter he shall forbear But when these latter cases shall fall out how shall the truth be maintained will it not suffer much prejudice 1. Christ will not be beholding to mens weaknesses for the maintenance of his truth 2. If every man according to his place to deliver his own soule shall declare observing the rules we shall speak to presently what he conceives to be the mind of God though he shall not either in words or practice continually hold forth the same yet thereby the truth is maintained 3. The truth is maintained by forbearing that practice which those opinions of men that are contrary to the truth puts them upon not doing as they do is a continual witnesse against them and so a witnesse for the truth this is a Christians duty at all times although I must never upon any ground do that which my conscience sayes is in
it selfe sin in the least thing yet I am not ever bound to do that which my conscience says is in it self good as it may fall out in some great things A thing in it-self evill can never be made my duty to do what ever circumstances it may be cloathed with what ever good I conceive may be done by it but a thing in it self good may by circumstances attending of it be such as at this time it is my duty to forbear it so that in not doing it I cannot be charged of a sin of omission of not living according to what my judgment and conscience is convinced of to be truth and good That we may understand yet further our duty of profession so as we may cause no divisions by it let these five rules be considered for the ordering of it First we must be wel grounded in fundamentals before we make profession of other truths seldome or never have you known men who in the beginning of their profession of Religion have laid out the first of their strength in Controversies but that they have vanished come to nothing in their profession Be first well rooted in the faith in the great things of godlinesse â—he absolute necessary things of eternall life and then thy searching into other truths of God which are for thy further edification will be seasonable 2ly Take heed that what thou dost be not out of affectation of novelties which men naturally have itching desires after It is very pleasing to the flesh to convey such things to others to be the first that shall bring to others things which before they understood not whatsoever the things be As there is much wickedness in raising up old errors as if they were new truths so there is much vanity in bringing forth old truths in novell and affected phrases as if men desired to be thought to find out some new thing that yet hath not been or is very little known in the world when indeed upon examination when it is uncloathed of its new expressions it proves to be the same old truth that ordinarily hath been known taught and so the man appears to be no knowing man more then ordinary Take heed of this vanity of spirit in the holding forth of truth especially when in publike you speak of Gods truths speak of them with reverence of the name of the great God as the Oracles of God clearly plainly not in obscure uncouth unknown expressions as the Oracles of the Idols were wont to be delivered in 3. Whatsoever is differing from others who are godly is not to be held forth and professed without serious examination we may venture more suddenly upon those things which are generally received of the Saints but if they be differing then we had need examine them over and over again with a jealous eye over our own hearts and to take heed to our spirits how we behave our selves in such things wherein we are like to go away so much differing from so many of our godly able brethren Wee must take heed of publishing any such things rawly undigestedly lest we wrong the truth of God and make the profession of it become ridiculous If the thing be true to day it will be true to morrow 4. We must not think it enough boldly to assert things but according to the rule of the Apostle 1 Pet. 3. 15. we must give an account 1. with meekness we must not do it in a passionate froward way not with our affections hurrying and tumultuous not after a contentious manner as if we desired victory rather then truth but with quietnesse and composednesse of spirit We must not think it much to bear contradiction from others yea though it should arise to contemptuous carriage against us and with fear that is either in respect of our selves who make the profession or in respect of those before whom we make it For our selves we must not do it in a conceited way not in a high arrogant way with foolish confidence in our selves in our own apprehensions and abilities but with feare manifesting our sensibleness of our own weakness vanity and nothingnes 2. In respect of those before whom the profession is made We must manifest our due reverent esteem of them no unbeseeming behaviour no scornfulness lightness contempt if it before Magistrates especially then whatsoever they are in regard of their persons yet reverentiall respects ought to be given to them in respect of their places and if they be men of worth learning graces publike use in the Church or State that respect that is due to their worth is to be manifested also in our carriage towards them Grace teacheth no man to be unmannerly rude scornfull furious or foolish 5. If you would make profession or practice any thing differing from others who are godly and judicious you should first acquaint those who are most able with what you intend and not go to youths women and weak ones first seeking to promote what you apprehend by possessing your hearts first with it and to get them to be a party for you this is not the way of God If God hath revealed some new thing to you you have some new light that is not yet made known to your Brethren which not only by profane men but I fear by some who are godly is in a profane manner scorned at and it were wel if none of those who pretend it did not give some occasision were not the temptation to the despising of that expression yet you should first goe to those who are most able to judg acquaint them with what apprehensions you have and see whether they cannot make it appeare to you that you are mistaken if not they may confirm you in the truth that you may go on in it with the more confidence If Churches were setled as they ought I should think it very ill for any Minister to preach any thing not ordinarily received by the Saints before they have acquainted other Elders yea some of other Churches with it if out of an eager desire to be formost in venting some new thing they shall do it meerly from themselves they may be meanes to raise and engage themselves in woful disturbances before they are aware That common union and fellowship that there is between Elders and Churches requires mutual advise and consultation in matters of difficulty though to lay a law upon them to advise in every thing be it never so clear would be hard CHAP. XII The sixth dividing Principle What is in it selfe best must be chosen and done not weighing circumstances or references THis brings much trouble to the Churches yea it causeth much trouble in the spirits and lives of many truly godly It causeth men to break the bonds of their Callings of their Relations of their publique Interests therefore certainly it must needs be a dividing Principle Some men whose calling is only to a private employment yet having some gifts and
suspition of her And Paulus Fagius upon the place says the Jewes had a tradition not only that she should conceive but it should be a man-child if shee had any disease she should be freed and if she brought forth before with difficulty she should bring forth now with ease Let not men therefore who are of publike use having their consciences clear yet because they are under suspition throw off all in an anger Such a temptation many lye under but let them know this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits they should trust God with their names their esteem their honour and go on in their work The only way to deliver themselves from suspition is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service God puts into their hands and with the more quietnesse of spirit with the lesse noyse they go on the sooner will the suspitions they were under wash off and vanish to nothing God will make their names break forth as the light those weeds having no ground to take root will wither and dye away The tenth dividing Distemper A spirit of contention AS in some there is a strong inclination a vehement impetus to whoredom which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention these have a spirit of contention these are like Salamanders who love and live in the fire They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah their temper is such as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters Contentions and strifes that are as tedious to other men as death are their delight they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man is kindle strife they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions like many jades who are dull in travell they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks If thou hast any spirit any zeal and courage it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels reserve it for the cause of God to strengthen thee in contending for the truth the publike The eleventh Distemper Covetousnesse THis is the root of all evill then of this there is no greater plague to friendship then desire of money sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy strife railings c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse How will some object against men withdraw from them deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them all merely to save their purses that in a poor pedling way What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world The sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares they will fight rend and tear out one anothers throat for it They that will be eich fall into temptations and a snare and into many and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes VVhen divisions arose in Germany upon Luthers Doctrine men of base covetous spirits judging Luther by themselves thought that Luther made all this stir to get gaine Why therefore sayes one do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver Another answers Oh this German Beast cares not for money The twelfth dividing distemper Falsenesse NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity sayes Cicero Truth is a girdle Stand therefore having your loynes girt with truth Ephes 6. 14. Truth binds and Falseness loosenâ— The Apostle Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour upon this ground because we are members one of another The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies that they built a Temple to it as to a Goddesse in which Temple all Leagues Covenants Truces and important bargains were made which were so religiously observed that whosoever broke them was held for a cursed damned creature unfit for humane society Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy murther debate deceit malignity A man were better be true to false principles then be false to true ones Those who are false are also mischievous they care not what mischief they do to any so they may but uphold themselves and repair that credite which formerly they had but now through their base falsenesse is crackt and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse they seek to keep such downe if not to ruine them fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged and if they cannot get them down by force they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse by flattering them whom their hearts hate and would gladly ruine That Scripture Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruine Psal 72. 14. He shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence If men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit they will seeke to doe it by violence God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both Come Lord Jesus come quickly CHAP. XXI Dividing Practices The first The Practice of the Tongue The second Needlesse Disputes PRovoking bitter language is a great divider An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to swords Arrowes Razors to poyson of Aspes â—ire yea to the fire of hell which sets all the world on fire to wild beasts it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together he said By this speech the Aspe takes in poyson from the Viper which it seems was a proverbiall speech in Tertullians time he inveighing against Marcion the Heretique Let the Heretique sayes he cease borrowing poyson from the Jew according to the Proverbe the Aspe from the Viper Many men of moderate spirits if let alone yet meeting with men who tell them stories and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of yet now before they have examined what the truth is there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware their hearts
over This evill many times comes of it that reason and truth from one man is little regarded and error and weaknesse from another man is greedily embraced and stifly maintained whereas it should be with Reason and Truth as it is with money one mans money in a market is as good as anothers so should one mans reason and truth spoken by him be as good as anothers The ninth dividing practice Because men cannot joyne in all things with others they will joyne in nothing SOme men are of such dividing dispositions that if they be offended with a man in any one thing in hearing or otherwise they will goe away in a tetchy moode resolving never to heare him more You think you have liberty in any froward mood to cast off that meanes of good which God offers to you to refuse to partake of such mens gifts and graces as you please It may be your stomack is so high and great on a sudden or your spirit is falne into such a sullen humour as you will not so much as go or send to him to see if upon a serious and quiet examination of things you may not have satisfaction in what for the present offends you No mens spirits are carryed on with present rash heady resolutions I believe there was never such a kinde of spirit prevailing amongst such as professe godlinesse since Christian Religion was in the world never did so many withdraw from hearing even those by whom they acknowledge God hath spoken to their hearts and that before they have gone to them to impart what it is that scruples them to try whether they may not get some satisfaction Certainly if you have no neede of the Word the Word hath no neede of you You may easily express your discontents one to another you may easily say you are resolved you will never heare such an one any more but you cannot so easily answer this to Jesus Christ When your weaknesses the prevailing of your distempers shall grate upon your consciences this will be a great aggravation of the evil of them You neglected in a humorous way and selfe-willed resolution those means that might have done your soule good even such as many hundred if not thousands of soules blesse God for all the dayes of their lives yea are now blessing God in heaven for Heretofore you would have been glad of that which now you sleight and reject this is not from more light or strength that you have now which you had not then but from more vanity pride and wantonnesse Others deny hearing not from such a distempered spirit but out of tendernesse because they think the Minister is no true Minister of Christ because he had no true call because he was ordained by the Prelats c. I confesse though for mine own part I never yet doubted of the lawfulnesse of the call of many of the Ministers of the parishionall congregations in England though they had something superadded which was sinfull yet it did not nullifie what call they had by the Church that communion of Saints amongst whom they exercised their Ministery yet I doe not thinke it the shortest way to convince those which refuse to heare to stand to prove to them the lawfulnesse of the call of those Ministers whom they refuse to heare but rather to make it out to them that though their call be not right to the Ministery yet they have not sufficient ground of withdrawing from hearing them For they hold it is lawfull for a man to preach the Word as a gifted man and that these men from whom they withdraw are gifted and faithfull and preach excellent truths they deny not But they will say If they did this as gifted men it were another matter but they preach by vertue of their call The answer to that is if they be acted by that principle and therein mistake this is their personall sinne not the sin of those who joyne with them in a good thing which they doe upon an ill ground When I joyne with a man in an action I am to look to the action and to the principle that I goe upon but let him with whom I joyne look to the principle that he goes upon Your hearing a man doth no way justifie his call to the office of the Ministery If a man doth a thing that he may doe by vertue of two relations or either of them it may be he thinks he stands in one of those relations which indeed he doth not yet he doth the action by vertue of it in his owne thoughts in this he sinnes but there is another relation wherein he stands that is enough to warrant the action that he doth to be lawfull Now though he doth not intend the acting by this relation the action may be sinne to him but not at all sinne to those who joyne with him in it If he will goe upon a false ground when he may goe upon a true let him looke to it I will joyne with him in that action as warranted for him to doe by vertue of his second relation which it may be he will not owne himselfe Take an instance in some other thing and the case perhaps will be more cleare Giving almes is a worke that a man may doe either by vertue of Church office as a Deacon or as a Christian whom God hath blessed in his estate or betrusted with the distribution of what others betrust him with Now suppose a man is in the place of a Deacon he thinks himself to be in that office by a right call into it and he gives out the almes of his Church by vertue of his call but I am perswaded his call to that office is not right he is not a true Deacon yet if I be in want I knowing that both he those who have given him money to dispose may and ought to distribute to those that are in need by vertue of another relation as men as Christians enabled by God surely then I may receive almes from him lawfully though his principle by which he gives them me is sinne to him I may communicate with him in this thing though he acts by vertue of that office that he had no true call unto why may I not as well communicate with a man in his gifts though he acts thus sinfully himselfe This consideration will answer all those objections â—gainst hearing men that they say are not baptized grant they are not and so you thinke they cannot be Ministers yet they are men gifted by God and thereby enabled to dispence many truths of God to your soule The tenth dividing Practice Fastning upon those who are in any errour all those false things and dangerous consequences that by strength of reason and subtilty may be drawne from that errour THis imbitters the spirits of men one against another it is true grant one false thing and a thousand may follow but I must not judge of a man that holds that one
account to your Brethren then this This is to abuse your conscience and the indulgence of God and the respect he would have men shew to the consciences of his people this is a hardning conscience against the truth no true tenderness of it Secondly If Conscience be such a thing as none must have the power over it but God such a thing wherein thou hast to deal so much with God thou hadst need keep it very clean it is above all creatures next to God take heed of defiling it oh keep it pure Unclean consciences are good enough to prostrate to men but consciences reserved for God need be kept unspotted and very clean Doves love white houses the holy Ghost loves a pure conscience Thirdly thou wilt have none to commaud thy conscience let conscience then command thee if thou wilt rebell against thy conscience it is just with God to suffer men to tyrannize over thy conscience When you complain of men seeking to have power over your consciences lay your hand upon your heart and say Have not I rebelled against my conscience I have resisted the power of it over me just therefore it is that others should seeke to bring it under their power CHAP. VII They who are for a Congregationall way doe not hold absolute liberty for all Religions BUt for all that hath been said Are there not yet a sort of men who though they would colour over things put fair glosses upon their opinions and ways saying they would not have such an absolute liberty as to have all religions suffered yet do they not come near this in their tenets and practise Doe not men in a Congregationall way take away all Ecclesiastical means that should hinder such an absolute liberty as this for they hold every congregation hath sole Church power within it selfe and they are not tyed to give any account to others but meerly in an arbitrary way will not this bring in a toleration of all Religions and a very Anarchy First I know none holds this and how farr men in a congregationall way are from it shall appear presently In the clearing of this thing I shall not argue for one side or other I shall only shew you that there is in effect as much means to prevent or subdue error heresie schisme in the congregationall way which you call by another name as there is in that way other Brethren endeavour to hold forth I am not here to plead what is right what is wrong but onely to shew you the difference is not great so far as concernes this thing what one holds the same the other holds in effect if this be done with clearness then the great out-cry against that way as fomenting divisions by opening a gap to all kind of liberty will I hope be stilled and your hearts in some measure satisfied I confesse were it as many of you are made to believe that that way gives liberty or at least hath no helpe against all errors heresies it must be acknowledged it were a means of most fearfull divisions and in no case to be tolerated But certainly you will find it far otherwise This argument I am now about namely how far Brethren agree in a matter of so great moment and in that which they are by some thought most to disagree in and their disagreement most feared as a matter of dangerous consequence I know cannot be an unpleasing argument to you although we cannot be ignorant that there is a generation of men that are vexed when they hear how near their brethren come to them in way of agreement it serves more for their turns to have the distance wide they would keep open the wounds yea widen them but God forbid there should be such a spirit in you Wherefore for your help in this thing these two things are to be premised 1. That the only way the Church hath to keep downe errors or heresies is spirituall as for other means they are extrinsicall to the Church this all acknowledge as for subjection to the Magistrate if he pleases to interpose to that both they and we must yeeld 2. The vertue of spiritual power works not upon the outward man by its prevailing upon conscience therefore so far as men are conscientious so far it works and no farther Now then see what difference there is in the Congregationall way from the Presbyterian for the prevailing with mens Consciences to reduce to the trueth those who goe astray from it First Those in the Congregationall may acknowledg that they are bound in conscience to give account of their ways to Churches about them or to any other who shall require it this is not in an arbitrary way but as a duty that they owe to God and man Secondly they acknowledge that Synods of others Ministers and Elders about them are an ordinance of Jesus Christ for the helping the Church against errors schismes and scandals 3ly That these Synods may by the power they have from Christ admonish men or Churches in his name when they see evils continuing in or growing upon the Church and their admonitions carry with them the authority of Jesus Christ Fourthly as there shall be cause they may declare men or Churches to be subverters of the faith or otherwise according to the nature of the offence to shame them before all the Churches about them 5ly They may by a solemn act in the name of Jesus Christ refuse any further communion with them till they repent Sixtly they may declare and that also in the name of Christ that these erring people or Churches are not to be received into fellowship with any the Churches of Christ nor to have communion with one another in the ordinances of Christ Now all this being done in Christs name is this nothing to prevail with conscience You will say What if they care not for all this That is as if you should say What if they be not conscientious What if nothing can prevaile with conscience I demand what can any Church-power do more to work upon mens conscience for the reducing them from evill You will say They may doe all this with more authority then the Congregationall way will allow We need not contend about the word Authority But how much higher is an act of authority in the Church then for the Officers of Christ to act in the name of Christ If you say private Brethren may admonish and declare in the Name of Christ This is more then if any private Brethren should doe the same thing for a Synod is a solemne Ordinance of Christ and the Elders are to be looked on as the Officers of Jesus Christ But our Brethren say There is one meanes more in their way then the Congregationall way hath that is if the sixe former will not worke then Synods may deliver to Satan In this very thing lies the very knot of the controversie between those who are for the Presbyteriall and those
their glory that they can say to the consciences of men Bow down before us A gracious spirit abhors the thought of such a tyranny This to high raising respects due to learned holy men hath been very hurtfull in the Church prejudicial to the souls of men but especially to the honour of Christ I will give you an instance Erasmus was no novice yet how dangerously he was taken with this will appear by a strange expression of his in an Epistle hee wrote to one Bilibaldus How far the authority of the Church prevails with others I know not but with mee it hath that power that I could be of the opinion with Arrians and Pelagians if the Church did but allow that which they taught This you will say is a strange expression coming from a learned man and one too not addicted to the Church that then was in that excess as others were how then did this conceit prevail with men more weak who gave up their consciences to others through their blind superstition Wherefore secondly though great respect is to be given to men holy and learned yet not such that a man must be judged obstinate if hee submit not to their judgments and determinations For First if a man should believe or do any thing before he sees some other grounds besides their judgments or examples though the thing were in it selfe never so good yet it would be sin to him If indeed this were enough to answer Christ Lord I am a poore weake man I cannot find out thy truths my self therefore I seeing learned godly men to be of such a judgement and doing such things I thought it too much presumption for mee to differ from them therefore I also believed it to be true and practised accordingly This were an easie way for people to agree and it might well be judged obstinacy to gainsay But this account Christ will not take for he tells us Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne and the judgments and practices of godly learned men he never made to be the rule of faith 2ly If God in revealing his mind to men alwayes did it according to the proportion of their gifts and graces then it were too much boldnesse for any to differ from those who are most eminent but experience tels us it is otherwise as God causeth his rain to fall upon one field and not upon another and as the wind blows where it lists so are the workings of the Spirit of God upon men Although hee reveales to all his Saints whatsoever is absolutely necessary to salvation yet for other truths a man of eminent parts shall know one another of weaker shall know another David was a man as eminent for parts was filled with the Spirit of God as much as Nathan both in regard of Prophesie and godliness yet sometimes that was revealed to Nathan which was kept hid from David When the Book of the Law was found and read before Josiah they send to Huldah the Prophetesse yet there were Prophets in the Land at that time But you will say Is it not more likely that men of learning and piety should know what is right and what is not better then others True it is more likely they should but God many times doth things which we think are not likely that which is the most unlikely to us God many times chooseth as best to serve his ends Thirdly If there were no other reason why a man of weaker parts should differ from other then because he is conceited of his parts thinks himselfe more able to understand then those who are far his betters then there would be more liberty to deale severely with him But being â—here may be this reason why men who are weak yet differ from those who are eminent Christ hath laid this charge upon them that they must not believe or practice any thing in the matters of Religion but what they shall see ground for out of his word If a man shall be jealous of himself fearing lest his own understanding should mislead him and in the use of all meanes he can seeks to God and yet cannnot see from Scripture the ground of those things learned and godly men have determined and having received such a charge from Christ not to alter his judgment or practice till in the use of these meanes he should receive further light from him what would you have this man do If he yeelds to you he sins against the charge of Christ and his own conscience if he doth not either now or after such a time you prefixe him alter his judgment and practice you judg him obstinate and in the name of Christ deale with him as such do not you by this make that bond that Christ hath laid upon him to do all he doth from a principle of faith heavier then Christ would have it Fourthly the more learning the more godliness men have the more pains they take in finding out the truth there is the lesse ground to judg those obstinate who differ from them because they differ You will say How can that be For if men be very learned and godly and take much pains to finde out the truth there is the more reason we should believe their judgements more then our owne We must indeed honour them then the more but yet the exquisitenesse of their learning the eminency of their godliness the industry of their labours for the finding out of truth may excuse those from obstinacy who cannot see into the ground from the word of all that they are able to see for is it not more then probable that men who are weak and exceedingly beneath them should through meer weakness be unable to see the rule of Scripture in those things which they have got the sight of by the help of their great learning godliness and indefatigable labours Can it be that men who have not attained to that eminencie who are not able to take so much pains in searching that they though they have their help added should be able to attain to what these men so eminent and industrious have attained to Can they in a few months come to see that which they have been studying and debating one with another divers years before they could see it can they be satisfied in their consciences of the mind of Christ when these eminent men for a long time could hardly satisfie one another yea it may be after all the helpe of their learning godliness and painfull labours they look upon many things but as probable as more likely to be so then otherwise they have not a Plerophory in their own hearts and shall those who doe not see ground enough for the foot of Faith to settle upon be judged and dealt with as obstinate Because they yet are not of their mind God forbid Fifthly there is much danger in making this to be the rule for if to go against the judgment of godly and learned men be obstinacy now
false opinion as if he had the malignity of those thousand evill things in his spirit I finde our Divines who have been of peaceable spirits have condemned very much this fastening of dangerous consequences of mens opinions upon those who hold the opinions and yet whose hearts are as much against such consequences as possibly may be deduced from them as any In their giving rules for peace they advise to take heed of this as a thing which makes Brethren who are different in their opinions unlikely ever to become one Davenant sayes It is abhorrent to charity and right reason that any because of consequences from what he holds neither understood nor granted by him should be thought to deny or reject a fundamentall Article which he firmly beleeves expresly asserts and if he were called to it whould seale the truth of it with his bloud Truer and more gentle sayes he is the judgment of that great and peace-making Divine Bucer who sayes It is our part not to look at what may follow from an opinion but at what followes in the consciences of those who hold it The eleventh dividing Practice To commend and countenance what we care not for in opposition to what we dislike WHen such as professe godlinesse shall make much of wicked men shall commend them joyne with them embrace them yea be well pleased with the bitternesse boisterousnesse boldnesse of their daring spirits because there may be use made of them against those men and wayes they differ from this is an evill which brings guilt upon themselves and makes the division between them and their Brethren very great If your hearts be right and your cause be good you need not make use of any thing that is evill to comfort your hearts or to maintaine your cause The Lord will not be beholding to the evill the bitternesse of mens spirits for the furtherance of his cause and why should you God will not take the wicked by the hand neither shouldest thou Are not your spirits strengthned against your adversaries when you see them calling in Papists and all manner of the refuse of men wicked and treacherous Can you thinke that these are the most likely to maintaine the Protestant Religion and the liberty of the Subject Why doe you seek to strengthen your selves by stirring up vile men to joyne with you such as heretofore your hearts were opposite to How comes it to passe you can close so lovingly now You can smile one upon another and shake hands together How comes it to passe you doe rejoyce the hearts of evill men they encourage you and you encourage them Those unsavoury bitter expressions that come from them you can smile at and be well pleased with because they are against such as differ from you blow up that sparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you lay your hands upon your hearts bethinke your selves is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ that acts us in such a way wherein we are Surely this is not the way of peace but of division and confusion The last dividing Practice The Practice of Revenge WHen any provoke you you say you will be even with him there is a way whereby you may be not even with him but above him that is forgive him Practising revenge is the way to continue divisions to the end of the world such offend me therefore I will offend them and therefore they offend me againe mee againe and I them and so it may run in infinitum they deny mee a kindnesse therefore I will deny them and therefore they will deny mee so these unkindnesses run on endlesly divisions will have a line of succession where will it where can it stop if this be the way of men Paulus Fagius in his Notes upon Leviticus cap. 19. v. 18. sayes If Reuben should say to Simeon Lend me thy Axe and he should answer I will not the next day Simeon hath need of an Axe and he comes to Reuben and sayes I pray lend me your Axe and Reuben answers No you would not lend me yours yesterday the Jewes accounted this to be Revenge There is much more malignity in our revengefull practices one upon another then this Basil invelghing against requiting evill for evill in his tenth Sermon speakes thus to a revengefull heart Doe not make your Adversary your Master doe not imitate him whom you hate be not you his looking-glasse to present his forme and fashion in your selfe Revenge God challengeth to himselfe as his presume not to encroach upon Gods proprietie to get up into Gods seate and doe his worke thou hast enough to doe of thine owne And it is very observable how God stands upon his challenge of revenge as his owne as that which he by no meanes will suffer others to meddle with in those Scriptures where this is mentioned the challenge is doubled yea sometimes trebleâ— as Psal 94. 1. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth So Nahum 1. 2. The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth the Lord will take vengeance on his Adversaries Heb. 10. 30. Vengeance belongeth to me I will recompence saith the Lord and againe the Lord will judge his people You must not think revenge to be so light a matter How unbeseeming are revengefull practices to Christian profession Many of the Heathens were above such things Plutarch reports of Phocion That when he had done notable service for the Athenians yet was put to death by them but being asked a little before his death whether he had any thing to say to his sonne Yes sayes he that I have I require of thee my sonne that thou never wishest ill to the Athenians for this they doe to me How farre are most of us from this we can hardly passe by an ill looke without revenge but if we conceive our selves to be wronged in words or actions then revenge rises high such things must not be born A Gentleman of very good credit who lived at Court many yeeres told me that himselfe once heard a great man in this Kingdome say He never forgave man in his life and I am moved the rather to beleeve it to be so because I have been told by some other Gentlemen that the same man would when he was walking alone speake to himselfe and clap his hand upon his breast and sweare by the Name of God that he would be revenged hee would be revenged and that she who lay in his bosome was wont to sit alone and sing to her selfe Revenge Revenge O how sweet is Revenge If they get power into their owne hands and are so uxorious as they must needs give way to have things managed according to the will of their revengefull wives what peace what security is there like to be Sir Walter Rawleigh in his History of the World tells of the sad case of the Lacedemonians when Nabis having power in his hands having a wife Apega a woman full of