Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A44394
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Four tracts by the ever memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton College. Viz. I. Of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. II. Of the power of the keyes. III. Of schism and schismaticks. IV. Missellanies.
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Hales, John, 1584-1656.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing H268A; ESTC R223741
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37,038
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64
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Men neither of Judgment nor Learning such are they of whom these Bodies do consist And are these Men in common equity likely to determine for Truth Qui ut in vita sic in causis spes quoque improbas alunt as Quintilian speaks Again when such Persons are thus met their way to procede to conclusion is not by weight of Reason but by multitude of Votes and Suffrages as if it were a maxim in nature That the greater part must needs be better whereas our common experience shews That Nunquam it a benè agitur cum rebus humanis ut plures sint meliores It was never heard in any profession That Conclusion of Truth went by plurality of Voices the Christian profession only excepted and I have often mused how it comes to pass That the way which in all other Sciences is not able to warrant the poorest Conclusion should be thought sufficient to give authority to Conclusions in Divinity the Supreme Empress of Sciences But I see what it is that is usually pleaded and with your leave I will a little consider of it If it be given out That Christian meetings have such an assistance of God and his blessed Spirit that let their Persons be what they will they may assure themselves against all possibility of mistaking and this is that they say which to this way of ending Controversies which in all other Sciences is so contemptible gives a determining to Theolgical Disputes of so great Authority And this Musick of the Spirit it is so pleasing that it has taken the Reformed Party too for with them likewise all things at lengh end in this Spirit but with this difference that those of Rome confine the Spirit to the Bishops and Counsels of Rome but the Protestant enlargeth this working of the Spirit and makes it the Director of private meditations I should doubtless do great injury to the goodness of God if I should deny the sufficient assistance of God to the whole World to preserve them both from sin in their Actions and damnable errors in their opinions much more should I do it if I denied it to the Church of God but this assistance of God may very well be and yet Men may fall into sin and errors St. Paul preaching to the Gentiles tells them That God was with them in so palpable a manner that even by the groping they might have found him yet both he and we know what the Gentiles did Christ hath promised his perpetual assistance to his Church but hath he left any Prophecy that the Church should perpetually adhere to him if any Man think he hath it is his part to inform us where this Prophecy is to be found That matters may go well with Men two things must concur the assistance of God to Men and the adherence of Men to God if either of these be deficient there will be a little good done Now the first of these is never deficient but the second is very often so that the Promise of Christ's perpetual presence made unto the Church infers not at all any presumption of Infabillity As for that term of Spirit which is so much taken up to open the danger that lurks under it we must a little distinguish upon the Word This term Spirit of God either it signifies the third Person in the blessed Trinity or else the wonderful power of Miracles of Tongues of Healing c. which was given to the Apostles and other of the Primitive Christians at the first preaching of the Gospel but both these meanings are strangers to our purpose The Spirit of God as it concerns the Question here in hand signifies either something within us or something without us Without us it signifies the written Word recorded in the Books of the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists which are metonymically called the Spirit because the Holy Ghost spake those things by their mouths when they lived and now speaks us by their pens when they are dead If you please to receive it this alone is left as Christ's Vicar in his absence to give us directions both in our actions and opinions he that tells you of another Spirit in the Church to direct you in your way may as well tell you a tale of a Puck or a walking Spirit in the Church-Yard But that this Spirit speaking without us may be beneficial to us oportet aliquid intus esse there must be something within us which also we call the Spirit and this is twofold For either it signifies a secret Illapse or supernatural Influence of God upon the hearts of Men by which he is supposed inwardly to incline inform and direct Men in their ways and wills and to preserve them from sin and Mistake or else it signifies that in us which is opposed against the flesh and which denominates us spiritual Men and by which we are said to walk according to the Spirit that which St. Paul means when he tells us The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Rom. 7. so that we may not do what we list Now of these two the former it is which the Church seems to appeal unto in determining Controversies by way of Counsel But to this I have little to say First Because I know not whether there be any such thing yea or no. Secondly Because experience shews That the pretence of the Spirit in this sense is very dangerous as being next at hand to give countenance to imposture and abuse which is a thing sufficiently seen and acknowledged both by the Papist and Protestant Party as it appears by this that though both pretend unto it yet both upbraid each other with the pretence of it But the Spirit in the second sense is that I contend for and this is nothing but the Reason illuminated by Revelation out of the written Word For when the Mind and Spirit humbly conform and submit to the written Will of God then you are properly said to have the Spirit of God and to walk according to the Spirit not according to the Flesh This alone is that Spirit which preserves us from straying from the Truth For he indeed that hath the Spirit errs not at all or if he do it is with as little hazard and danger as may be which is the highest point of Infallibility which either private Persons or Churches can arrive unto Yet would I not have you to conceive That I deny that at this day the Holy Ghost communicates himself to any in this secret and supernatural manner as in foregoing times He had been wont to do indeed my own many uncleannesses are sufficient reasons to hinder that good Spirit to participate himself unto me after that manner The Holy Ghost was pleased to come down like a Dove Veniunt ad candida tecta Columbae Accipict nullas sordida Turris Aves Now it is no reason to conclude the Holy Ghost imparts himself in this manner to none because he hath not done that favour
particular whether it were because of their own interests or that they saw not the Truth or for what other cause God only doth know their Judgments many times to speak most gently are justly to be suspected Which that you may see we will range all Schism into two ranks For there is a Schism in which only one Party is the Schismatick for where cause of Schism is necessary there not he that separates but he that occasions the separation is the Schismatick Secondly There is a Schism wherein both Parties are the Schismaticks For where the occasion of separation is unnecessary neither side can be excused from the guilt of Schism But you will ask Who shall be the Judge what is necessary Indeed that is a Question which hath been often made but I think scarcely ever truly answered not because it is a Point of great depth or difficulty truly to assoil it but because the true solution carries fire in the tail of it For it bringeth with it a piece of Doctrine which is seldom pleasing to Superiours To you for the present this shall suffice If so be you be Animo defoecato if you have cleared your self from froath and grounds if neither sloth nor fears nor ambition nor any tempting Spirits of that nature abuse you for these and such as these are the true Impediments why both that and other Questions of the like danger are not truly answered if all this be and yet you see not how to frame your resolution and settle your self for that doubt I will say no more of you than was said of Papias St. John's own Scholar you are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your abilities are not so good as I presumed But to go on with what I intended and from which that interloping Question diverted me that you may the better judge of the nature of Schisms by their occasions you shall find that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three ways either upon matter of Fact or matter of Opinion or point of Ambition For the first I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which either we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful So the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of fact for it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of our keeping that Feast must be the rule left by Moses to the Jews there arose a stout Question Whether we were to celebrate with the Jews on the 14th Moon or the Sunday following This matter though most unnecessary most vain yet caused as great a Combustion as ever was in the Church the West separating and refusing Communion with the East for many years together In this fantastical Hurry I cannot see but all the World were Schismaticks neither can any thing excuse them from that imputation excepting only this that we charitably suppose that all Parties out of Conscience did what they did A thing which befel them through the ignorance of their Guides for I will not say their malice and that through the just judgment of God because through sloth and blind obedience Men examined not the things which they were taught but like Beasts of Burden patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiours laid upon them By the way by this you may plainly see the danger of our appeal unto Antiquity for resolution in controverted points of Faith and how small relief we are to expect from thence For if the discretion of the chiefest Guides and Directors of the Church did in a Point so trivial so inconsiderable so mainly fail them as not to see the Truth in a Subject wherein it is the greatest Marvel how they could avoid the sight of it can we without imputation of extreme grosness and folly think so poor-spirited Persons competent Judges of the Questions now on foot betwixt the Churches Pardon me I know not what Temptation drew that Note from me The next Schism which had in it matter of fact is that of the Donatist who was perswaded at least so he pretended that it was unlawful to converse or communicate in holy Duties with Men stained with any notorious Sin For howsoever Austin and others do specify only the Thurificati Traditores and Libellatici and the like as if he separated only from those whom he found to be such yet by necessary proportion he must refer to all notorious Sinners Upon this he taught that in all places where good and bad were mixt together there could be no Church by reason of Pollution evaporating as it were from Sinners which blasted righteous Persons who conversed with them and made all unclean On this ground separating himself from all whom he list to suspect he gave out that the Church was no where to be found but in him and his Associates as being the only Men among whom wicked Persons found no shelter and by consequence the only clean and unpolluted Company and therefore the only Church Against this Saint Augustine laid down this Conclusion Unitatem Ecclesiae per totum orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam which is indeed the whole sum of that Father's Disputation against the Donatist Now in one part of this Controversie betwixt St. Augustine and the Donatist there is one thing is very remarkable The Truth was there where it was by meer chance and might have been on either side any Reasons brought by either Party notwithstanding For though it were de facto false that pars Donati shut up in Africk was the only Orthodox Party yet it might have been true notwithstanding any thing St. Augustine brings to confute it and on the contrary though it were de facto true that the part of Christians dispersed over the Earth were Orthodox yet it might have been false notwithstanding any thing St. Augustine brings to confirm it For where or amongst whom or amongst how many the Church shall be or is is a thing indifferent it may be in any Number more or less it may be in any Place Country or Nation it may be in All and for ought I know it may be in none without any prejudice to the definition of the Church or the Truth of the Gospel North or South many or few dispersed in many places or confined to one none of these either prove or disprove a Church Now this Schism and likewise the former to a wise Man that well understands the matter in Controversie may afford perchance matter of pity to see Men so strangely distracted upon fancy but of doubt or trouble what to do it can yield none For though in this Schism the Donatist be the Schismatick and in the former both Parties