persist in our errors Joh. 8.44 we are then of our father the Devil who as he was a lyar from the beginning and abode not in the truth so doth he obstinately abide for ever in the destructive and damnable errors of his waies Both this infelicity and also this sinfulness of error will more fully appear by considering and rightly understanding the nature of Heresie and Schism the two general heads whereunto all sinful error is reducible CHAP. II. Heresie the nature and ingredients thereof HEresie hath its denomination from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to chuse or follow by way of division and separation the which being continued and increased by perversness and obstinacy therein gives unto Heresie its perfection and compleatment The former is an error of the understanding the latter an exorbitancy of the will And thus both the Sententiarist and the Schoolman define an Heretique He is an Heretique who both erres in the Articles of holy faith through defect in his understanding and withal pertinaciously cleaves to such errors through the perverseness of his will From this general description of an Heretique and the nature of Heresie the particular ingredients whereof the cup of Heretical poyson is compounded will appear to be these 1. To be an Heretique is to erre in matters of faith not of Fact and in points of Doctrine not of Discipline the former distinguishes Heresie from sinfulness of life The latter opposes Heresie to Schism These points of faith are either 1. Fundamental such as are the grounds pillars and constituent parts of holy Christian Religion Or 2. Superstructive such clear and evident truthes as are built upon and by necessary consequence do flow from those grounds An error in the former is primarily and principally and in the latter secondarily and consequentially Heresie 2. He that in either of these respects erres in the most holy faith through ignorance misunderstanding or misinformation is not presently to be adjudged an Heretique untill this error in his understanding hath so infected his will and affection that he cleaves to this his private erroneous opinion even against the judgement of holy Catholick Church and the doctrine of Christ sufficiently made known unto him so the Father Qui in ecclesia Christi morbidum aliquid pravúmque sapiunt Aug. de civit dil l. 18. c. 51. si correpti ut sanum rectumque sapiant resistunt contumaciter c. They who in the Church of Christ do believe any pernicious doctrines and being instructed and admonisht to receive the sound and saving truth do yet pertinaciously persist in their errors and continue to defend them still without conversion and amendment are hereby become Heretiques of whom S. John 1 Joh. 1.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us viz In the society of holy or thodox Christians And being gone out through the obstinate maintaining the delusions of their own heads they become saith the Father of the number of those enemies whom God permits for the trial of our faith and exercise of our charity And this particular ingredient of Heresie the same Father in one of his Epistles more fully cleareth thus Qui sâ—ntentiam suam quanvis falsam mulla peâ—tinacâ— animositate defendiâ— praeserâ—m quam non audacia suae praesumptionis peperit sed à seductis in errorem laâ—sis parentibus accepit Quaerit autem cauâ—â solicitudine veritatem corrigi paratus cum invenerit nequaquam est inter haretices deputandus Aug. Epist 162. He that defends his opinion though it be false with no perversness and animosity especially if it arise not from his own bold and sawcy presumption of mindâ— but from his erroneous and seduced guides and pasiors or parents he hath received it if with all carefulness and diligence he seek to know the Truth being of a ready and prepared heart to imbrace it when he shall sinde it such a person though he does erre in the most holy faith is not to be accounted an Heretique 3. The third ingredient then of Heretical poyson is the obstinate cleaving to an erroneous opinion or tenent in Religion contrary to the judgement of the universal Church So Isidore defines Heretiques to be such persons Isid de verbo Haetes who of their own heads depart from the judgement of the Church hammering out of their own brains false and perverse doctrines whereas saith he it is not lawful for us orthodox Christians to bring in any thing of our own heads nor yet to receive and believe what any others of their own heads have brought into the Church We have the Apostles of Christ for our Authors for even they brought in nothing of their own minde but the doctrine they received from Christ they faithfully published and preached to the world And though we saith the Apostle or an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel besides c. Gal. 1.18 From the Apostles the sound and saving Truth is received by the Church so that saith Irenaeus We ought not else where to seek the truth Non oportet adhuc quaerer apud alias veritatem quam facile est ab ecclesia sumere cum Apostoli quasi in depositonum dives plenissimè in ea conâ—ulerint omnia quae sunt veritatis ut omnis quicunq velit sumat ex ea potum vitae Irenae l. 3. c. 4. which in the Church may be easily found since the the Apostles have most fully treasur'd up therein as in a rich store-house all things that are of Truth so that whosoever list may thence take out the waters of life Therefore the Apostle styles the Church The pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 2.15 The pillar Gloss ordin In se bene sustinens veritatem ne corruat licet tribuletur Upholding the Truth that it fall not though daily distressed by the gates or powers of hell whose instruments are Wolves without or Foxes within the one by open persecutions assailing the other by secret infectious opinions undermining the Truth but the Church like a pillar supports it and like the ground which God hath made to stand continually both upholds and holds forth the true faith and like a rock against the raging billowes of the sea stands it out against all the gusts of persecutions heresies and schismes which are as 't were that spiritual ammunition wherewith all the gates of hell are furnisht to fight against the Church of Christ and the most holy faith thereof But whilest we stand with the Church we shall not need to fear either the crafts or assaults of these ghostly enemies For upon a Rock Christ hath grounded his Church and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it Mat. 16.18 When any particular person then opposes his private spirit and judgement against the publique judgement and spirit of that Church whereof he is a member or when any particular
people must we not see with our own eyes but only with those of the Church Shall we pin our faith upon any mens sleeves What need we the authority of men when we have Gods own authority for our direction and men are but men i. e. frail and liable to error so that all they affirm is not to be taken for Gospel In answer whereunto consider Answ 1. That there is a great deal of difference betwixt an implicite faith and blinde obedience to the dictates of the Church and a submission to the publique judgement thereof The first deprives the people of their reason and judgement the second renders them more meek humble submissive and obedient and thereby more capable to receive the impression of the knowledge of celestial mysteries 2. That we assert not the ancient and learned Fathers of the Church ut dominos sed ut duces sidei Nihil carum rerum scire quae antè nascereris facta sunt hoc est semper esse puerum Cic. Not as Lords over our faith but as guides in the true belief And he that knows nothing of the Religion of the Fathers for his guidance and direction is most likely still to continue a childe in his religion Nor 3. are we to receive for Oracle all that the ancient reverend Fathers of the Church did affirm being very few amongst them Quicquid omnes vel plures uno eodemque sensu manifeste frequenter perseveranter velut quodam sibi consentiente concilio accipiendo tenendo tradendo firmaverint id pro indubitato certo ratcque habeatur Quicquid vero quamvis ille doctus sanâ—tus quamvis Episcopus praeter omnes aut etiam contra omnes senserit id inter proprias privatas opiniunculas à communis publicae generalis sententiae authoritate secretum sit Vinc. Lyr. but had their particular errors and mistakes and in many particulars also 't is confessed they did contradict each other 'T is not therefore the affirmations and private opinions of particular persons we must look upon as the Doctrine of true Religion and true meaning of the Scriptures but the general and universal consent of all for that all should erre and fall from the truth is contrary to what our Lord hath promised who will undoubtedly be as good as his word Mat. 16.18 Vpon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it and Mat. 28.20 I am with you alway even to the end of the world In a word in the interpretation of Scriptures and for the confirmation of holy truths thence deduced the authority of the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church is to be consulted and known for these reasons 1. Because they are certain and undeniable witnesses of what the Church and the people of Christ did in their respective times believe and hold for orthodox Doctrine If the same doctrine St. Augustine taught in Africk was also taught by St. Chrysostome in Greece by St. Ambrose in Italy by St. Hierome in Palestine and so in other places by holy and reverend Bishops and Pastors of the Church then this undoubtedly was the doctrine of the Church and thus were the holy Scriptures understood in those ages of the Church Ita intellexit Ambrosius ita Cyprianus c. Thus Ambrose thus Cyprian understood such or such a place of Scripture this had some weight in St. August time and St. Aug. opinion and there is no reason but that it should be of the same force still amongst us 'T is no way probable but that persons so eminent in learning and in piety so frequent in holy prayers and meditations in fastings and wailings so indefatigable in their studies and labours in the Word and Doctrine and who laid down their lives and fortunes for the doctrine they preached should more truly understand the Scriptures and the truth of Christian Religion then we who if there be any thing of Modesty and Humility in our hearts must confesse our selves far inferiour to them in the said gifts and graces of the holy Spirit Aug. Vsque adeo promiscuit imis summa longus dies c. Hath time so confounded all things is light so changed into darkness and darkness become light ut videant Pelagius c. that Haeretiques now are the only seers Et caeci sunt Hilarius Cyprianus Ambrosius And the learned pious Fathers of the Church become blinde The words are too much appliable to the Heretiques of the times 3. The judgement of the Fathers being so far remote from these times wherein we live must needs be impartial as to the controversies amongst us touching the interpretation of any texts of Scripture or doctrines therein delivered as being altogether disinterested and knowing nothing of our disputes and contestations thereabouts Aug. contra Julian Pelag Nullas nobiscum vel vobiscum amicitias attenderunt c. They were neither in friendship nor in community with us or with them who in this age are of a contrary opinion to us they were neither angry with us nor them neither did they pity either of us but what they found professed in the Church they faith fully preserved what they learned they taught and what they received from their fathers they delivered unto us their children and undoubtedly Survey of the pretended discipline as a learned man of our Church observes they that contemn the learned Fathers that went before them do but open a gap to their own discredit making way thereby to be contemned themselves by all those that shall come after 4. We cannot but reasonably imagine that those holy and learned persons who lived nearer the Apostles times should proportionably know better the Apostles meaning in their writings and the doctrine they preached then any of us who live so many hundred years since Iren. l. 3. ch 4. Therefore saith Irenaeus who was the Disciple of Polycarpus the Disciple of St. John Where any question ariseth and the holy Scripture as 't is too common is so perverted Vinc. Ler. as to be made speak for both sides whither shall we have recourse for satisfaction but to the ancient Churches of Christ in which the Apostles converst from thence to hear what the truth is viz. Quid Apostoli quid primi fideles quid eorum successores c. what the Apostles what their Disciples and successors what the primitive Saints and Martyrs Councels and Fathers have received taught and delivered unto others For what came the word of God our from you or came it unto you only 1 Cor. 14.36 Since the Word of God comes not first to us but by and from the Church it is delivered it followes that the sense and meaning of Gods word must not spring from our own heads but to be by and from the Church delivered together with the word The learned Doctor Whittaker in his disputes against the authority of the Church Whit. de sac Q. 3. con 1. c.
the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth both from the Father and the Son who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets To give you my Comment upon this Text were but to hold a candle to the Sun the Doctrine delivered is so clear and perspicuous All that can be said upon this Article of our Christian Faith is reducible to four heads 1. Of the Person of the Holy Ghost in himselfe 2. Of his Office or Workings on the mindes of men 3. Of the trial of the true from false spirits 4. Of the means to be made partakers of the Spirit of Truth The two first are doctrinal and speculative points for the rectifying and fitting the understanding rightly to conceive and beleeve aright this Article of Christian Faith The two last are practical and applicatory for the guidance of our actions and Christian performances according to this belief And may this ever blessed Spirit of God inspire and direct me to write and all that read to understand the divine and celestial Doctrine both of his Person and Office to the illumination and sanctification of our souls here as the way to eternall salvation hereafter A DISCOURSE OF THE Holy Spirit CHAP. I. Of the Person of the Holy Ghost in himself THE more clearly to understand the Doctrine of the Spirit of God it will be necessary to use the light of some distinctions for so the naked and plain truth of any thing is most clearly and distinctly seen when namely 't is divided and distinguisht from its conjunction with other things of the same or the like name and nature which is the ground of that old Maxime Qui bene distinguit bene docet The way to teach well or clearly to deliver any truth is rightly to distinguish that truth from other truths that are of near affinity thereunto either in name or nature or in the words of the Apostle which is the language of the Spirit of Truth Rightly to divide the word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 2 Tim. 2.15 which was one of those many qualifications of the Apostles of Christ wherewithall they were immediately inspired by this Spirit of Truth for the propagation of the Gospel intimated in that he descended from heaven upon them in cloven or divided Tongues And first that we mistake not the creature for the Creator 1. Distinct God over all blessed for ever we must remember that a Spirit is either Create or Increate or more plainly sometimes the word Spirit is in holy Scripture applyed to the creature sometimes to the Creator There are several kindes of created spirits as 1. Those glorious Inhabitants of the highest Heavens the holy and blessed Angels Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits c. Heb. 1.14 2. Those cursed inhabitants of the nether Hell the chained Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle styles them Ephes 6.12 Ephes 6.12 Spiritual wickednesses or wicked spirits 3. The souls of men which quicken and enliven these our frail and mortal bodies every man being composed of two natures a body and a soul Gen. 2.7 or flesh and spirit Gen. 2.7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth meaning his body and breathed into his Nosthrils the breath of life meaning his soul and so man became a living soul or living by his soul or spirit created or infused by God into his earthly body 4. The life and animation of each sensitive creature therefore we read Psal 150.6 Let every thing that hath breath Psal 150.6 or spirit praise the Lord All these are several kindes of created spirits some more some lesse pure fine and spiritual But there is an increated Spirit also who being neither made nor created in himself is the great Maker and Creator of all spirits and of all things who being the prime Fountain and Original of all beeings is so eminent and transcendent a Beeing that as he is in himself he only knows himself nor is it possible for us or any creatures who derive their beeing from him to attain the perfect knowledge of him and therefore is he pleased in his holy Word wherein he reveals himself unto us to describe himself by the names and properties of his excellent and most eminent kinde of creatures which are spirits so that God is termed a Spirit Analogically because Angels or Spirits are the purest finest quickest and most active and intelligent beeings But that we may not rank God with Angels or Spirits for he hath no match or equal we must learn this one general rule in Divinity Whatsoever is spoken of God in the Scriptures and withall is applyable to any creature must be understood of God eminenter by way of eminency and transcendency as the Prototype and grand Exemplar of that perfection which is applyed to the creature As here Angels are Spirits and the souls of men are spirits but God is not a Spirit as they are spirits for he is the Fountain the Original and all perfect pattern of the Perfection and Purity of all created spirits therefore termed the God of the spirits of all flesh Numb 22 16. Heb. 12.9 Numb 22.16 and the Father of spirits Heb. 12.9 That we may according to the Catholick Faith worship one God in Trinity and the Trinity in Vnity 2. Distinct neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance we must rightly distinguish betwixt the Subsistence and the Persons or betwixt the Essence and Substance of God which is necessarily to be remembred and observed in relation to the Article of Faith in hand for sometimes God is termed a Spirit Essentially in respect of his essence nature or Godhead Sometimes Personally the tearm being applyed to this or that particular person of the Godhead 1. Joh. 4.24 Essentially Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit that is he is such a God whose essence nature or being is eminently and transcendently pure and spiritual 2. Personally Mat. 3.16 Mat. 4.1 Ephes 4.30 so here and in many other places the term is peculiarly appropriated and applyed to the third Person of the Trinity who is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost for Ghost and Spirit is the same the one an old English word the other a Latine This Name and Attribute the Holy Spirit as it is particularly applyed to the third Person of the Trinity expresseth and sets forth unto us his Person and Office his Personal subsistence in himself and his Office or working in relation to us 1. His Person in the term Spirit 2. His Office in the Attribute Holy Sanctus dicitur quiae sanctificat Spiritus quia spiratus He is called the Holy Ghost from his Office which is to sanctifie or make holy and the Spirit from his Person which is spired or proceeding First the Holy not holy only in respect of his Person as is also the Father and the Son which is
immediately created by God himself but all mankinde since ordinarily by the mediation of parents so the Apostles of Christ who received the first issues of Evangelical Ministry were extraordinarily called but all that have succeeded them have been admitted by an ordinary vocation because the succession is but of ordinary necessity now for any man to pretend an extraordinary calling and immediate from God without the Ministry of man is to pretend also to a new Gospel and new Revelations distinct from what Christ and his Apostles have delivered and such can be no other then the dictates of seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils and indeed such a pretence of immediate and extraordinary power and commission from above can in a fixed and setled Ministry by ordinary means have no other end and issue but to belie the Spirit of Truth and cousen the too credulous souls of the people when ever they have a minde to it nor is it any other but a meer pretence of folly to expect or relie upon an extraordinary calling or abilities by immediate infusion from heaven without the use of means as to the Ministerial Function since by ordinary and common means they may be supplyed for it is all one as if we should expect men to be created and by the hands of God immediately as Adam was at the first or being so formed to be fed and nourished with food from heaven without any care or industry for provision here upon earth CHAP. VI. Of ministerial Gifis ordinary and extraordinary THis call to the Ministerial Office under the Gospel both extraordinary in the Apostles and ordinary in their successors as it is in it self a grand inestimable gift of the Holy Ghost and the prime of them confer'd by our Lord in his triumph over our ghostly foes and victorious ascension into to Heaven for then he gave some to be Apostles some Prophets c. So it hath also other gifts of the Spirit attending Ephes 4.11 as necessary contributaries to the accomplishment thereof that this gift may be compleated and fitted for the edification of the body of Christ Vers 12. through the work of the Ministry which proportionable to the two-fold calling are either extraordinary or ordinary also extraordinary they were even plentifull and miraculous in the persons of the Apostles viz. in such a measure and after such a manner as no mortal men could ever hope for since and very good reason there is that it should be so For the Apostles charge was much greater and their task more difficult then any mans either was or can be since They had all mankinde to instruct and principle in the doctrine of Christ the stiffe obdurate and incredulous Jewes to convert the fulnesse of the Gentiles to bring in both the rude Barbarians and learned Graecians to master and subdue The whole world was their Diocese the world sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death devoted to the service of sin and Satan the Prince of darknesse Now to master and subdue the whole world and to turn all men from darknesse to light Act. 26.18 and from the power of Satan to the living God required sure gifts and endowments more then ordinarily powerful and effectual even such as were extraordinary and miraculous and whereof none of their successors none that ever followed them since in the Ministerial Office could possibly hope to be partakers for all Ministers since have but an handfull of men in comparison to deal withall and these broken to their hands being born and brought up in the holy Christian Religion As therefore there is no need of any such extraordinary qualifications so neither do we the best of us do not dare not pretend either to such sublime and eminent gifts of the Spirit or to any such immediate and extraordinary infusion of spirituall gifts The spiritual gifts of the Apostles differ from those of their successors in two respects 1. In respect of the measure or extent of them 2. In respect of the manner of acquisition First for the measure the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost Act. 2.4 filled as full as they could hold 2.4 they were endued with as many eminent gifts for the execution of the Apostolical Function as they were capable of but we even the best and ablest of the Sons of men are not so full but they could hold much more their 's was a Baptism with the holy Ghost ours is at the best Act. 1.5 but a Rantism they were washed washed as it were all all over with the Spirit we but sprinkled with his gifts they had the anointing of the holy One more plentifully we in a smaller scantling they were anointed above far above all their fellowes and successors who received ordinarily but an Hin to their Epha Psal 133.2 Their Unction was like the Ointment poured upon the head that ran down to the beard and all others since but like the thin droppings upon the skirts of the garment And from hence we may observe with S. Hierome Scio me aliter habere Apestolos aliter reliquos tractaâ—orâ—s illos semper vera diâ—â—re istos ut hemines in quibâ—sdam aberrare Hier. ad Theo. That the Apostles excelled all other Ministers in this respect also that they were so guided and directed by the holy Spirit of God that all truths and nothing but truth did at all times flow from them in the execution of their Function but all other Ministers must confesse in all humility that as men they have their failings and mistakes in one respect or other Secondly for the manner the Apostles were endued with their fulnesse of spiritual gifts miraculously their Inspiration did publickly and visibly appear to be by miracle and immediate from Heaven Act. 2. But we as we can pretend unto no such extraordinary gifts so neither do we pretend unto or depend upon any such extraordinary and immediate infusion of spiritual gifts but ordinarily in the use of means even by much study labour and industry in the waies of wisdome learning and knowledge we do acquire our qualifications according to the command of the Apostle to Timothy we study for them 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved 2. Tim. 2.15 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth and yet Timothy sure had less need to study for his gifts then any of us as having more of immediate Inspiration then the best of men can hope for since And yet though we study to be qualified for the work of the Ministry our qualifications are full the gifts of the Spirit all our wisdome and knowledge is from above even as of Daniel and the three children it is recorded that God gave them knowledge and understanding in all learning and wisdome Dan. 1.17.4 Dan. 1.17 And yet it is said before vers the 4. that they were brought up and instructed in knowledge and that by and among
quantum in ejus dilectione profecerimus God suffers us to be tempted tryed and proved by the lying wonders of false Peophets arising amongst us not that he himself may know what is in us to whom the hearts of all men are naked and bare but that we may thereby know our selves and our own proficiency and constancy to the principles of truth and integrity The very same reason is given by the Apostle for the necessity of heresies 1 Cor 11.19 1 Cor. 11.19 For there must be heresies among you Aug. de civ Dei lib. 18. that they which are approved among you may be known Quolibet errore caecentur c. With what error soever our enemies are blinded or with what wickedness soever they are deprav'd 't is for the proof trial and exercise of the graces of Gods Spirit within us Have they received power to afflict persecute imprison c. 'T is for the trial of our patience in suffering and charity in loving our enemies and praying for our persecutors as becomes the Disciples of Christ Mat. 5.44 Mat. 5.44 Do they only by fair words and cunning speeches distil their false and poysonous Doctrines 'T is for the trial of our wisdome in resisting Gal. 6.1 and beneficence in perswading and endevouring to restore them with the spirit of meeknesse proving whether God will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that they may escape the snare of the Devil of whom they are taken captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.25 26. 2 Tim. 2.25 26. Secondly Try the spirits whether they be of God or no Try them how but by the revelations of the Spirit which is of God who being the Spirit of truth must necessarily therefore in all his qualifications and impressions be consentaneous and agreeable to himself Aug. Veritas veritati congrua one truth ever holds proportion with another nay all truths are as it were the images and resemblances one of another they are all links of the same golden chain which affixt to the throne of heaven displayes ' its radiant lustre unto the mindes of men upon earth They are all but streams flowing from one and the same fountain the God of truth There is nothing then that we are to receive for truth but what is consonant and agrees with the Spirit of truth which ever blessed Spirit speaking in the Word hath thereby prescribed and given us a sure and infallible rule of truth What the Apostle cals a being filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 19. he also cals the dwelling of the word of Christ in us richly which any one that will compare the places may perceive whence it is easie to observe that the Apostle means no other by being filled with the Spirit then to be full of the Word of Christ or to be mighty in the Scriptures and the reason is because the holy Spirit is not only the great Dictator of the Scriptures unto us but also our guide in several respects as to the right understanding of them The first rule of trial then is the holy Word of God in general that 's the grand general rule that 's the great square or level according to which we are to try and examine the rectitude truth and integrity both of the doctrines and opinions of others without and also the impressions and workings of the Spirit within Gal. 1.8 Though we Gal. 1. â— or an Angel from Heaven should preach unto you another Gospel besides that you have received let him be accursed Though we preferring authority of the Gospel they had preached before their own authority the Preachers thereof nay before the authority of celestial spirits Though an Angel from Heaven c. He saw saith the Father Aug. that it might so come to passe that Satan transforming himself into an angel of light and working by his mediators and instruments those deceitful workers who transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 13 14. might so cousen and deceive them if they did not keep close to the Gospel received which is the true rule of faith therefore he saith another Gospel besides c. praeter any thing that is besides that holds not square and is not level to that rule Qui praetergreditur fidâ—i regulam non procedit in via sed recedit à via he that goes besides and not according to the rule of faith goes not forward in the way but backward from the way of truth so 1 Joh. 4.8 We are of God speaking of himself and the rest of his fellow Apostles He that knoweth God heareth us acquiescendo doctrinae nostrae cleaves to our doctrine and he that is not of God heareth us not Lyra. neither is obedient to our word And hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error q. d. He that cleaves to our doctrine is guided by the Spirit of truth and he that doth not so by the spirit of error But the spirit of error will come with his scriptum est likewise as he did against our Lord himself Mat. 4. And all hereticks and schismaticks do generally alledge Scriptures and wrest the very sayings of the Spirit of truth against himself to insinuate thereby their lies and errors For as Tertullian observes of the writings of Ovid Virgil Homer both the matter of them hath been transferr'd unto other uses and the verses applyed to other matter Even so do hereticks deal with the holy writings of inspired men De Praeser adv Haer. cap. 39. Nec periclitor dicere c. I fear not to say that the Scriptures were so disposed by the wisdome of God that they might accidentaliter and by the by even administer matter to Heresies since I read that heresies must come and without the Scriptures they cannot come For 't is in the production of heresies as of natural things Corruptio unius est generatio alterius the corruption of truth is the generation of heresie all heretical opinions being generally grounded upon and flowing from the fountain of truth the Scripture not as they are in themselves rightly interpreted and understood but as they are wrested and perverted either in the words or in the sense either by additions or diminutions or by not considering them together but divided into parts and taken up by shreds and pieces for the avoiding whereof these following rules must be observed in the trial of spirits by the Scriptures First try and oxamine by the coherence whether that be the very intent and aim of the holy Ghost in the text for the which it is urg'd and alleged For the same words of the Spirit may be misapplyed both to other things and other persons then the Spirit ever meant or intended therein Secondly distinguish betwixt times ages persons when wherein and to whom this or that word was spoken For there are many things both said and recorded to be done in the Word which are only agreeable
to those times to that age of the Church and to some particular persons and are not at all appliable to the Church and people of Christ in these times or to any persons amongst us Thirdly examine diligently the phrase and manner of speech whether it be plain or Metaphorical literal or allegorical a true history or a parable only For many things are spoken in the Word by way of type figure allegory parable and the like which if we should apply in the plain and literal sense would prove strange monstrous lies and contradictions which God forbid any man should be so blasphemous as to impose on the Spirit of truth and wisdome Fourthly examine diligently what agreement every text of Scripture hath with other and receive not easily and slightly the seeming sense of any text without comparing the same with its parallel texts For many things seem to be positively asserted in some places of the Word of God which yet are directly contradicted in others one place therefore is so to be compared with and interpreted by another that the one do not obscure or any way cloud the truth of the other Fifthly examine whether that which we conceive to be the sense of this or that Scripture be agreeable to those Articles of Christian faith contained in the Apostles Creed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or form of sound words in faith we must 2 Tim. 2.13 Jude v. 3. hold fast that model of faith once given to the Saints for which we must contend and consequently receive no private sense or interpretation of Scripture that is contrary thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 remembring that no Scripture is of any private interpretation 1 Cor. 14.32 but that even the Spirits of the Prophets themselves are subject to the Prophets Sixtly examine what we conceive to be the sense of the Spirit in the Word by the rule of that law written by the singer of God in two Tables of stone as a lasting square according to which to regulate all our actions and consequently all our conceptions and opinions from whence our actions flow The rule of obedience or that all perfect rule of Charity Rom. 13 1◠which is the fulfilling of the Law is an infallible rule of trial of the spirits whether they be of God or no Hereby saith the Apostle we are sure we know God if we keep his Commandements he that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.34 1 Joh. 2.34 It is not the Spirit of truth but the spirit of error if it oppose or deny or any way impede and hinder our obedience to the Laws of God For saith the same Apostle again He that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth in him 2 Joh. 3.24 and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us even by that Spirit which he hath given us even by the spirit of obedience to the Commandements of God So that even from hence 't is clear that both to have the Spirit abiding in us and the way to know we have him also and not a false counterfeit lying spirit is if thereby we be mov'd and enabled to keep Gods Commandements This is the very rule our Saviour himself prescribes to examine his own doctrine thereby Joh. 7.17 Joh. 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self And this is the first general rule of tryal of the Spirits even the Word of God A second rule according to which to try the spirits whether they be of God or no is by the fruits of the Spirit and 't is the rule our Lord himself hath given us to know them by Mat. 7.15 Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves Beware of false Prophets for many such are gone out into the world who in respect of their exteriour dress and outward appearance so plausible are their pretences so spiritual are their expresions so much of the language of the Spirit and Scripture phrases flow from them that you would take them for the true sheep of Christ and undoubtedly to belong to his fold and yet for all this inwardly really and truly they are wolves in sheeps cloathing limbs of Satan deceiving and devouring the souls of the simple But by their fruits you shal know them which is confirmed by an apt similitude Mat. 7.16 vers 16. Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles q. d. No man can be so foolish as to expect this but every tree whether it be good or whether it be bad bringeth forth fruit suitable to its good or bad nature So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evill fruit nor is it possible it should be otherwise A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit even so false Prophets cannot bring forth the fruit of good true wholsome sound doctrines and religious manners So Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man being good in himself produceth evil actions on the other side saith Antoninus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that will not have a wicked man to commit wickedness is like unto him that will not have a fig-tree to bring forth figs 'T is then an infallible tryal of the spirits whether they be of God or no by the fruits they bring forth The fruit of the Spirit viz. which is of God Gal. 5.22 23. is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance The first of these fruits and the fairest too even of largest extent and most lasting which this tree of life brings forth is Love even the love of God above all and of our neighbour as our selves This therefore must needs be an infallible touch-stone to try the spirit of truth from the spirit of error for the spirit of truth is the very spirit of love and that first in respect of himself being that essential love and love-knot of the Father and the Son And secondly in respect of us being that sacred vinculum that invisible chain which unites us unto God by faith which worketh by love Gal. 5 6. and which unites one to another by charity peace amity the inseparable fruits of a true faith So that the Spirit of God is vinculum unitatis both in respect of his person and office and that 3 waies First he is the bond of unity betwixt God and God Secondly betwixt God and man and Thirdly betwixt man and man therefore call'd the unity of the Spirit Eph. 4.3 The devil on the other side Ephes 4.3 is of a quite contrary nature as being the author fautor and fomentor of all division He divides and separates man from God by sinfulness and error and man from man by envie malice hatred strife
our obedience depends upon Divine Revelation and command from God He hath shewed thee O man what is good Micah 6.8 What thing so ever I command thee observe to do it Holy Religion is not of an earthly but of a heavenly descent It is a beam displayed from that light of truth which is eternal and immutable her dwelling is in the holy heavens Wisd 9 10. where she waits upon the throne of glory And to earth she descends not by any natural investigation but by supernatural revelation Mirandâ—de sid aâ—d cred Omnis religio supernis revelationibus nititur aut niti praesumitur All religion depends upon revelation from above Flesh and bloud hath not revealed it but my Father which is in heaven Mat. 16.17 4. That there is a general knowledge of God and some notions of that religious worship we owe unto him imprinted in the hearts of all men by nature and is legible in the book of the creatures the Apostle affirms Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead But this sight of God being not clear enough to bring us to the beatifical vision and fruition of God which is that perfection and felicity whereunto by being enstampt after the image of God he hath created c. therefore it hath pleased him more clearly to reveal himself and the waies of his religious worship to his Church and people in all ages And this either 1. extrardinarily and immediately or 2. ordinarily and in the use of means 5. The first revelation of divine truth was immediate i. e. without the mediation or ministry of man intervening But yet so as that 1. All those holy persons to whom God immediately revealed himself by certain infallible signs did themselves know and make known to others that the revelations they received were no delusions but from God himself the fountain of truth proceeding God never speaks so extraordinarily but by the same act he both makes known the things spoken and himself to be the speaker 2. That all immediate revelation was generally confirmed by miracle therefore the Jews required signs of Christ as the means to confirm every new and immediate revelation Joh. 2.18 6.30 1 Cor. 1.22 3. That not all nay nor all holy persons but only some few choice select vessels had the honour of this immediate revelation the main body of the people still received the knowledge of God by mediation i. e. from their hands in whom the office of Priesthood was in all ages enstated For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they i.e. the people should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Mal. 2.7 6. The truth whereof as also what we are to beleeve concerning divine revelation will appear if we do impartially consider and weigh 1. To what persons and after what manner God revealed himself from Adam unto Christ 2. That by Christ and his Apostles the whole minde of God is so fully revealed that we must not now look for the revelation of any new truths 3. That the right understanding of what is already revealed depends not upon Gods immediate inspiration or revelation from heaven but is to be acquired by Gods blessing in the use of means And that in order hereunto the knowledge of tongues and sciences is both useful and necessary 4. That to depend upon immediate revelation is not only dangerous but destructive to the truth already revealed 5. That all those texts of holy Scripture commonly alledg'd for the proof of immediate revelation are misunderstood and wrested OF DIVINE REVELATION Mediate and Immediate CHAP. I. Of divine Revelation from Adam unto Christ 1. MAn being created after the Image of God was undoubtedly at the first endued with such a perfect knowledge of divine truth as was necessary to the attainment of that felicity whereunto God created him viz. the beatifical vision and fruition of his Creator for ever For as Philosophers do affirm If it were possible that the invisible and all spiritual God could be represented under any visible or compounded shape and being His body then must needs be composed of Light and his soul of Truth So essential to the very being of God is knowledge and truth and so consequently to the being of man after the image of God 2. But this light of divine knowledge was by mans disobedience too soon eclipst and his soul involv'd in the darknesse of sinfulness ignorance and error our first parents out of a sawcy ambitious affectation to know what they ought not engulft themselves and all their posterity into a natural blindness and ignorance of what they ought to know so that ever since hoc tantum scimus quòd nihil scimus the most knowing man knowes best his own ignorance and want of knowledge For if any man think he knows any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 3. But since without the knowledge of God and of his most holy will that perfection of our being whereunto God hath created us cannot be attained Joh. 17.3 therefore it pleased God to restore our first faln parents in some measure to the knowledge of himself and of his will in the waies of his worship and this he did either immediately by himself or by the mediation of intervening Angels by the voice from heaven convey'd upon the wings of the winde for so we read Gen. 3.8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God Junins in lec walking in the garden in the cool or in the winde of the day winde conveying his voice into their ears and thereby his into their hearts 4. By vertue of this divine Revelation or some others not recorded in holy Writ Adam received from God both the knowledge of that religious service and obedience which God then required from man and therewithall the honour of the Priesthood also being as the first man so the first Priest in the world 5. For the proof of the first those Lawes of divine worship which were given by God to Adam and from Adam transferred to his Sons and posterity though they be not clearly expressed in holy Scripture because as the worship of God grew up with time to more perfection so the less perfect was the less regarded yet in many places of holy Scripture these Lawes are though but obscurely intimated and by the Jewes with one common consent they are reduc't to six heads The first against false worship The second of the worship of the true God The third of the appointing of Magistrates and administration of Justice The fourth against the discovery of nakedness and setting bounds to the lusts of the flesh The fift against homicide and shedding of bloud The sixt against theft and of doing to others as we would be done unto our selves And to these commands doth that
edict of the Apostolical councel of Hierusalem relate Act. 15.29 which being directed to such of the Gentiles as were converted to the faith of Christ puts them in minde of those precepts which were given to the first parents of mankinde 6. For the second the Priesthood of Adam this is observed from Gen. 4.3 4. Cain and Abel brought their offerings to the Lord. Mount Acts Mon. c. 1. sect 16. They brought their offerings this was no wil-worship no act of divine service derived out of their own brains or by immediate revelation enjoyned but by direction and command from Adam who doubtlesse was so instructed by God himself receiving by immediate revelation what his sons and posterity received mediately and ministerially from him And they brought their offerings to the Lord i.e. to be offered to the Lord by their father Adam Beat. Pol. Jud. c. 2. who was as well their Priest as their Parent both their bodily and ghostly father which is manifest from the examples of Noah who offered sacrifices Gen. 8.20 not his sons and of Abraham the like Gen. 17.23 and of Job also who sacrificed for his sons Job 1.5 7. From Adam the several Patriarchs in their respective families derived their right to the sacred function of Priesthood which for many ages was enstated in the first born and heads of families untill God was pleas'd to accept of the tribe of Levi for all the first born of Israel Numb 3.41 8. Thus then in the first age of the world the knowledge of God in the waies of his worship together with the office of Priesthood was transmitted from Adam to his sons and so from Patriarch to Patriarch in all generations The several bodies of respective families being not by immediate revelation but by the indoctrination and instruction of the heads of families taught the waies of Gods service and their own salvation nor do we read of any divine truths immediately revealed or any divine lawes by immediate revelation prescribed from Adam to Noah which was the space of 1500 years The Prophesie of Enoch remembred of S. Jude being not of the nature of any new truths revealed but a denuntiation of judgement to be inflicted In all this long tract of time the world being drown'd in sinfulness and iniquity it was revealed to Noah that the earth should be drown'd by a floud also and the sinfull pollutions thereof washed away by an universal deluge of waters Gen. 6.12 13. And God locked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth And God said unto Noah the end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth 10. 'T was not all the people 't was not any we read of but Noah only had this truth immediately revealed unto him Josephus indeed tels us that the sons of Seth received by tradition from Adam not by immediate revelation that the world should be twice destroyed once by water and once by fire and therefore they erected two pillars the one of wood and the other of stone Jos Antiq. Jud. l. 1. c. 3. wherein they engraved the principles of those humane arts and sciences invented by them that the one might stand against the violence of the water and the other against the violence of the fire And of this nature it's most probable was the prophesie of Enoch Jude vers 14 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his holy Myriads not so properly rendred 10000 Saints to execute judgement c. 11. But the time when the first of these universal destructions should happen Noah only had the honour to receive immediately from God And for this end 't was revealed to him that by his mediation and ministery the people might have the knowledge of it and be stir'd up by his preaching not by immediate revelation to repentance and amendment of life who is therefore call'd a preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 And thus say the Hebrew Doctors Pirke R. â—liezer c. 22. he preached saying Turn you from your waies and from your evill works that the waters of the floud come not upon you and cut off the whole seed of the sons of Adam 12. Unto Noah after the floud was dryed up the foresaid Lawes of holy living given unto Adam were now renewed adding thereunto a prohibition against eating of bloud to deterre them from the sin of murther before prohibited Gen. 9.4 But flesh with the life thereof i.e. the bloud thereof shalt thou not eat And this with the six former commands are commonly cal'd and known by the name of the seven precepts of Noah 13. From Noah the Priesthood descended upon his son Shem who was the first of all men that had God as 't were entayled upon himself in a more special reserved sort of peculiar personal appropriation For until the daies of Abraham the great Lord of the world and of all things therein was peculiarly styled the Lord God of Shem Gen. 9.26 14. Abraham the seventh from Noah was the next person we read of that was honoured with immediate revelation Antiq. Jud. l. 1. c. 8. who first by the way of Philosophy saith Josephus attain'd the knowledge of Divinity by observing the motions of the heavens the cause nature order of creatures he aspir'd to the knowledge of the Creator but not so perfectly as afterwards he received it by revelation Clem. Recogn lib. 1. And thus the Author of the Recognitions records the words of St. Peter speaking of Abraham whilest he seriously pondered in his minde the causes of things Christ the true Prophet who only knowes the desires and purposes of all hearts appear'd unto him opening unto him the things he desired teaching him the knowledge of the Divinity the beginning and end of the world the immortality of the soul the resurrection of the dead and the last judgement with the rewards of the just and the punishment of the wicked and withall prescrib'd him such rules of holy living whereby he might please God The authority of this revelation I shall not put to question but thus much out of holy Writ we are assur'd that God immediately revealed himself to Abraham calling and commanding him out of the land of Chaldea into the land of Canaan promising to him and his posterity this land as a type of Paradise or celestial Canaan entayling upon him and his posterity the priviledges and peculiar interests of Gods people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysost God making himself who is common to all to be Abrahams and his feed by peculiar interest and appropriation I will be thy God Gen. 17.7 and the God of thy seed after thee and withall revealing unto him that out of his loyns should come the promised Messias the desire of all nations and blessed
1. Cor. 1.24 Joh. 14 6. Joh. 1.5 and the sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 The storehouse of wisdome and knowledge Col. 1.19 The only mean of discovering unto us the knowledge of God without whom it is impossible to know God For no man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 Wherefore is he termed the Word of God and the Wisdome of the Father the Way the Truth and the Life but by these and many more expressions besides these to signifie unto us that the knowledge of God and of his holy will is so fully by Christ revealed that here we must now six and not expect any further Revelations or new Lights to be discovered He looks beyond the Moon that looks for Revelations beyond Christ and what already stands upon record to be revealed by him There is no need to be curious after knowledge Nâ—bis â—uriâ—sitate opus â—â—n est pâ—st Christâ—â— Jesum nec inquâ—sitione pâ—st â—â—angeliâ—â—n Cum â—â—â—dâ—â—â—â— nil desider amus ultâ—aâ—â—deâ—â— Hee n. prius â—â—dmus non esse quod ulâ—ra â—redere deâ—â—amus Tert. de prae advers Haer. c. 8. since the Revelation of Jesus Christ saith Tertul. nor is there need of further search after Truth since we have found the Gospel where we beleeve in Christ we desire not to beleeve any thing beyond this belief for this we believe first of Christ and his Gospel that beyond this there is nothing ought to be believed 9. The Apostles of Christ had the honour after him to receive by immediate Revelation not any new Gospel but the right understanding firm remembrance and powerful publication of the Gospel of Christ All whose epistles and writings are as so many Commentaries and illustrations of the Gospel as the Prophets of old were of the Law And as Moses and the Prophets compleat the old so Christ and his Apostles compleat the canon of the new Testament which was ever received in all ages by the Church of Christ Quâ—d propleâ—ae praecâ—â—azâ—veâ—unt pâ—rsâ—â—â—a Christus Apostoli tradideruÌ„n a quibus â—eelâ—sia accipiens per universuâ— mundum sela bene custâ—dâ— as tradidit filiis Iren. l. 5. advers Haer. as the Rule of Faith and summary of divine Revelation So Irenaeus What the Prophets foretold Christ hath perfected and his Apostles have delivered from whom the Church through the whole world dispersed receiving the same hath delivered it to her sons the true Members of the Church Catholick all which must undoubtedly believe and professe with the rest of the family we are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the head corner stone Eph. 2.20 And here it cannot be either impertinent or unprofitable to observe in what respects sometimes Christ and sometimes his Apostles are said to be the foundation we are built upon 1. Christ is called the Foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 Primarily as he is the fountain of all Revealed Truths originally they flow from him for no man hath seen the Father but the Son Joh. 1.18 and he to whom the Son hath revealed him The prophets and Apostles are the soundation too Secondarily from and under Christ as his Stewards 1 Cor. 4.1 Ambassadors 2 Cor. 5.20 Workmen together with but under Christ 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Christ is the Foundation as upon whose doctrine and example life and death the faith of the whole Church is setled and their salvation fixed for there is no other name under heaven in whom there is salvation but the name of Jesus Act. 4.12 The Prophets and Apostles are the foundation ministerially as they are the Administrators of this faith and salvation which is in Christ the Prophets more obscurely the Apostles more clearly delivering it unto us Christ is as 't were the acceptable year of the Lord Clem. Rec. l. 4. having his twelve Apostles as the twelve moneths which compleat and fill up the year Christ is Alpha and Omega the beginning and end of all divine Revelation the end of the Law the beginning of the Gospel the Supplement of the Prophets and the whole Tenor of the Apostles preaching even the corner stone in whom both Law and Gospel Prophets and Apostles meet or the centre in whom they are conjoyned And in this center we must fix our faith having found Christ as by his Prophets and Apostles he hath revealed himself unto us Joh. 14.6 we must seek no further He is the way the truth and the life Let us not seek any new waies or new Truths lest being misled by the Spirit of Error we wander in the by-waies of death and ruine Tert. de virg vâ—land The canon or Rule of our faith saith Tertullian is one alone immovable and not possible to be better framed anew And what Rule this is he sheweth by rehearsing the Articles of the Christian Faith and Irenaeus before his time Pren. advers Haeres l. 1 2. 3. The Church though scattered through the whole world unto the uttermost borders of the earth hath received from the Apostles and their Disciples what to believe The parts of which belief he also writeth the same in substance with Tertullian and thereupon infers This Faith the Church spread far and wide preserveth as if one house did contain them Similiter n. fides nostra Revelationi Apostolis Prophetis factae qui canenicos libros scripserunt non a. revelationi si qua suit alits doctoribus factae Aquin. 1 p. sum q. 2. Art 8. ad sâ—cund These things it equally embraceth as though it had one common soul one heart and no more It publisheth teacheth and delivereth these things with uniform consent as if God had given it but one only tongue wherewith to speak He which amongst the Guides of the Church is best able to speak uttereth no more then this and lesse then this the most simple doth not utter i.e. when they make profession of their Faith And to conclude this second General Our Faith saith the Schoolman depends and is grounded upon that divine Revelation which those Prophets and Apostles received which wrote the canonical books of holy Scripture and not upon any other Revelation if ever there were any such received by any other learned or holy persons whatsoever Non n. novis Revelationibus nunc regitur c. The Chuch is not now guided by any Revelations but persists and perseveres in those things which the Prophets and Apostles have revealed and delivered unto us who were the Ministers of the word revealed CHAP. VIII Of the necessity of learning as to the understanding of Gods revealed will in his word AS God hath graciously pleas'd in his holy Word to reveal himself unto us The 2. General Deut. 17.19 1 Tim. 4.13 Rev. 1.3 2 Tim. 2.15 1 Tim. 5.17 so he hath commanded us to read study and labour in this word that the light of divine Revelation therein may
presume to intermeddle with preaching or unfolding the mysteries of the Gospel 'T is recorded of the great St. Basil and Nazianzen that after their long studies in saecular learning Russin Lib. 2. cap. 9. they continued for the space of thirteen yeers together in a monastery giving themselves to the study of holy Scriptures the sense and meaning whereof they fetcht not out of their own heads but out of the writings and authority of the ancients to whom by succession from the Apostles the rule of right understanding the Scriptures was apparently known The order of divine wisdome and providence in the dispensation of holy truths to the world is worth our observation out of 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit there are diversities of administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but the same God that worketh all in all From hence it is easie to observe that there must be gifts before administrations i. e. 1. A man must be qualified with gifts fit for every calling before he receive administration or be ordained to that calling 2. There must be administration before operation i. e. A man must be lawfully ordained to a calling before he work or labour therein So in the great calling of the Ministry the gifts of the Spirit must precede or go before before Letters of administration be taken And 2. a lawful ordination must be taken before operation or working therein And he that either 1. assumes this high and sacred function Bish Andr. serm in 1 Cor. 12.14 c. being not qualified with gifts contemns the Spirit from whom they come Or 2. He that labours in the word and Doctrine though he be gifted being not also lawfully ordained contemns the Lord from whom all administrations come and who hath instituted and commanded ordination thereunto Or 3. He that being both gifted and lawfully ordained is not industrious in this calling contemns God the Father of all operations who worketh all in all He that thinks any of these superfluous may as well question whether some one Person of the Trinity be not superfluous also even that Person from whom comes that part of the division which he slights and contemns As it is therefore in the order of the Trinity as the Father begets the Son and from the Father and the Son proceeds the holy Ghost So in this Division the gifts of the Spirit beget the Lords Administration or calling to the Ministry and both together produce the operation or labour therein which is the work of God and as no man comes to Christ but by the holy Ghost so no man comes lawfully to the calling but by the gifts and as no man comes to the Father but by the Son so no man comes to the work but by the calling CHAP. XIII The internal and divine qualifications of the soul as to the understanding of holy Scriptures 1. T Is confessed that all the external parts of humane learning already remembred though they be the gifts and blessings of Gods Spirit and necessary helps to the opening of the Letter and right understanding of the literal and genuine sense of Gods word yet are not in themselves alone sufficient to attain a true and throughly saving knowledge thereof except our souls be enricht as with the outward gifts so with inward graces of the holy Spirit also Truth and Holiness are the two inseparable constituent parts of spiritual wisdome and to understand the truth or true meaning of the Spirit of Truth in the word the Spirit of holiness must necessarily concur And this is most eloquently expressed Job 28. where after a most high and magnificent expression of the praises great price and value of true wisdome a view is taken of all the parts of the world where it might be found gold and silver iron and brasse all useful metals and precious stones have their places though secret designed them but where shall this rich pearl where shall wisdome be found and what is the place of understandings Vers 12. It is not found in the land of the living the depth saith It is not in me and the sea saith It is not in me Vers 14. It is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the fowls of the air vers 21. The most Eagly sighted Philosophers and wisemen of the world who have viewed the natures properties and causes of all things not in the earth alone but in the heavens also even the courses influences and operations of the Sun Moon and Stars have not yet attained true wisdome how then shall we finde it out it followes God knoweth the place thereof and he understandeth the way thereof vers 23. And he hath said Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdome and to depart from evil is understanding briefly describing both the place of wisdome and the way thereunto even the way of piety and obedience And of that piety which is necessarily requisite to the understanding of holy Truth there are several species or particular parts which from the example of holy Bernard may be thus reckoned up Qui ut legeret intelligendi fecit cupiditas ut intelligeret oratio impetravit ut impetraret quid nisi vitae sanctitas promeruit His earnest desire of knowledge made him studious and industrious in reading his fervent prayers obtained the understanding of what he read and his holy life made his prayers effectual for the enlightning of his understanding and thus he must desire thus study thus pray and thus live who will attain that knowledge which shall make him wise to salvation 1. The first divine qualification of the soul requisite unto knowledge is the desire thereof The beginning of wisdome it the desire of instruction Wisd 6.17 Come unto me all ye that be desirious of me and fill your selves with my fruits Ecclesiasticus 24.19 and what is more authentick If thou seekest wisdome as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Prov. 2.4 Such desires and studies for wisdome the holy Ghost undoubtedly would never 1. exemplifie 2. exhort unto 3. enkindle in the hearts of men but that they should tend not to vexation and trouble but to satisfaction and accomplishment in the prosecution of them Et hoc modo priùs invenire oportet ut quaeras deinde quaerere ut pleniùs invenias This desire of knowledge must not be only earnest but also sincere Pura erit intentio si in omni actione aut honorem Dei aut militatem proximi aut bonam consciâ—ntiam conscientiam quaeramus Bern. serm par free from partialities prejudices and prepossessions free from pride covetousnesse ambition emulation and all base carnal and worldly ends and interests denoted by the singleness of the eye Mat. 6.22 which is generally interpreted to be purity of intention in all our studies and endevours
fountain of purity deny his blessings upon our labours and turn our preaching into foolishness And herein the Enthusiasts of the age have found so great a flaw in the Ministery as that they absolutely decry the calling or if not so yet the best terms they can afford the most upright and conscientious amongst us is false Prophets and deceivers of the people But yet that the error of this opinion and sinfulness of the railing accusations though against some persons they have too much of truth may appear 't is necessary to take notice of these following considerations 1. That 't is the sins of the people that provokes God to give them ignorant and sinful shepheards And there shall be like people like Priests saith the Lord and I will punish them for their waies and reward them their doings Hos 4.9 and again The daies of visitation are come the daies of recompence are come Israel shal know it The Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad and what 's the reason for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred Hos 9.7 Non est a plâ—be aut vulgaribus hominibus arguendus aut accuâ—andus episcopus lices sit inordinatus quia pro meritis subditâ—rum disponitur a Deo vita dectorum Evar. ep fratribus Aegypt And therefore saith Evaristus A Bishop and Pastor of souls is not to be reviled by the people though be disorderly because God disposeth of the lives of the Teachers according to the deserts and qualities of the hearers And so of Princes as well as of Priests wicked Princes God gives in his wrath Hos 13.11 viz. when he is angry with a people for their sins And even the errors of the best kings are ascribed to the sins of their subjects As Davids sin in numbring the people was caused by the anger of the Lord against Israel 2 Sam. 24.1 For the Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord and he turneth it whither soever he will Prov. 21.1 either for a blessing or curse upon their subjects Sic pro meritis plebis saepe pastores depravantur ecclesiae Anacleti epist tertia ut procliviùs corruant qui sequuntur 'T is even so with the Pastors of the Church who are deprav'd and diorderly in their lives because the people by their sins have deserv'd to have such leaders whose directions shall sooner tend to the ruine then to the health of their souls 2. 'T is the duty of all Christian people rather to cover and veil then to disclose and publish the enormities of their Pastors For they are their spiritual Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 And the nakedness of Fathers must not be discovered by the children that the curse of Cham fall not upon them Gen. 9.22.25 If the Pastors neglect their duty towards God the people must not therefore neglect their duty to their Pastors but wisely distinguish betwixt their example and doctrine obeying the truths they deliver but avoiding the sinfull practises they follow which is positively commanded by our Lord Mat. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses chair All therefore whatsoever they bid observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not Etiam si quisquam traditor subrepsisset c. saith Aug. Though some traytor or wicked person creep into the chair of Moses Aug. Epis 165. it should nothing hurt the Church or innocent Christians for whom Christ hath provided saying of evil prelats what they say do ye 3. The knowledge of the Truth may be obtained in the use of outward means and the ministerial office thereupon conferred upon such persons as want the internal qualification of true piety which is clear from the examples of Balaam who loved the wages of righteousness and yet had the gift of prophesie of Judas who was sent out by the Lord himself to preach the Gospel and yet had a Devil and Nicholas chosen by the Apostles one of the Deacons and yet was the father of the Nicholaitan Haeresie so much detested by God Rev. 2.6 Shall we therefore accuse and rail upon the Prophets of the Lord for the sin of Balaam or disparage the Apostles of Christ for the sin of Judas or impute to the rest of the holy Deacons the error of Nicholas or shall we not hear and obey the truth because it comes from the mouthes of some wicked as well as good Ministers It is rather our duty to admire the wisdome and magnifie the goodness of God who to give the greater testimony to the Truth and to make it more illustrious and evident is pleased to deliver it unto us by his Ministers of both sorts good and bad both by the holy and by the profane And 't is the Spirit of God undoubtedly that works in and by all persons that deliver the truth though not in all alike but in men of divers qualifications after a different manner in good men as ingredient and insident in bad men as urgent and impellent by good men more frequently and effectually he works the conversion of his people and by bad men sometimes also though more rarely that the working of his grace may appear in all and the glory thereof may to him as the supreme cause and not to his instruments be ascribed 4. That the gifts of Gods holy Spirit are not limited to those that receive his graces is further clear Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name Here were great gifts bestowed and that upon wicked and unsanctified persons for it followes immediately Then will I professe unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity so also 1 Cor. 13.2 Though I have the gift of prophesie and understand all mysteries and though I have all faith so as to remove mountains viz. of seeming impossibilities and have not charity I am nothing From whence two things are plainly and clearly observable 1. That the understanding of holy Scriptures and of the mysteries of godliness or prophetical and ministerial gifts may be obtained in the use of outward means without the internal sanctification of soul which consists in charity or love which is the fulfilling of the Law 2. But then secondly The gift of prophesie with all the wisdome and knowledge of holy things though they may be and often are useful for the edification of others yet are they altogether fruitless and ineffectual to the person that hath them if not animated by the grace of charity or obedience to the Lawes of God for so they are not much unlike a candle in a dark lanthorn which casteth its light abroad upon others leaving the person that holds it in darknesse CHAP. XV. The dangerous and destructive consequences of and depending upon immediate Revelation HEe that pretends unto or depends upon any further Revelations from heaven then God in his great mercy hath already afforded unto his Church and people viz.
1. His written Word 2. Those several means and helps forementioned both divine and humane outward and inward for the right understanding of his Word by the blessing of God and the secret influence of his holy Spirit upon our studies and meditations therein laies himself open to manifold temptations and dangerous seductions of the spirit of error and delusion and as much as in him lies subverts the very foundation of the holy Christian Faith for hereupon these destructive inconveniencies must needs ensue 1. The canon of holy Scripture is transgrest and dissolv'd by the superaddition of new Revelations and the authority of Gods Word is made null and void that must passe for a dead letter when the fictitious dreams and delusions of every idle enthusiastical brain under the mask of Revelations shall be mistaken and miscalled too The quickning Spirit And he that sets up any thing of Religion to the dishonour of holy Scriptures Optaâ— l. 3. 1. saith the Father he doth adificium de ruina construere erect a building upon the ruines of Gods truth and such a building can be no better but an heap of errors and deceits For what will not he dare to affirm and hold who holds any thing besides or above or but equal to the Word of God for the Rule of Faith Hereupon the Resurrection hath been denied and the last judgement and the necessity of all holy just and good works the necessary consequences of these points of our faith for he that believes not the Resurrection and last judgement Quid boni aut veri what holy Truth will he care to believe or what good action will he make conscience to practise 2. He opposes himself to the doctrine of the universal Church of Christ for 1600 years together who with one unanimous and common consent have received the holy Scriptures as the very canon of Faith without addition or diminution without ever hoping or waiting for any new Revelations to be superadded thereunto and very good reason sure if that dismal curse wherewith the canon of holy Scripture is concluded have any influence upon the mindes of men Rev. 22.18.19 If any man adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book c. 3. And more particularly he makes void all those commandements of God to search the Scriptures to hear read meditate and study and delight our selves in the Lawes of God For all immediate Revelation of Gods will presupposes the knowledge of the truth without any search study c. The contempt or neglect of which duty hath sad and heavie judgements threatned thereunto as Jer. 9.13 c. And the Lord saith Because they have forsaken my Law which I set before them And have walked after the imagination of their own heart I will seed them with wormwood and give them water of gall to drink I will scatter them among the heathen c. with manifold texts to the same purpose both in the old and new Testament as Prov. 13.13 28.9 Psal 81.11 12. Zach. 7.12.13 Joh. 5.45 46. 12.48 4. He makes void and unnecessary the sacred function of the Priesthood or Ministery which God hath in all ages ordained and setled in his Church as to mediate with God for the people so to instruct the people from God And this sacred office God hath both confirmed by miracles and by testimony of his blessings ordinary and extraordinary and guarded the same by many direful threatnings denounced and many heavie judgements inflicted upon such as have or shal sacrilegiously violate infringe or usurp this office or neglect refuse or contemn to hear the word of God in the mouthes of his Prophets and faithful Ministers See amongst many other places Jer. 5.12 c. Because the people belied the Lord and said It is not he when he spake by his Prophet And because they said moreover The Prophets shall become â—inde and the word is not in them Therefore thus saith the Lord Because ye speak this word I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devour them And to the same purpose Jer. 6.10 11 12. Mat. 10.14 15. Luk. 10.11 12. 5. All pretence to immediate Revelation lords it over the faith of our Christian brethren For an immediate Revelation commands an immediate belief and blinde obedience without any further fearch or trial at all contrary to those expresse commands 1 Joh. 4.1 Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good or agreeable to the word of God but reject that which is not so and hold for accursed the publishers and promoters thereof Gal. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from heaven should preach unto you another Gospel besides what ye have received let him be accursed 6. The faith of the Enthusiast if it may be called a faith and not rather an illusion of his fancy is not built upon the same grounds with the faith of Christs Church which is the pillar and ground of truth the Church is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the head corner stone Eph. 2.20 i. e. what the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New have revealed to be the doctrine of salvation in Christ is the foundation which the faith of all true Christians is built upon But the Enthusiasts faith is not built upon old but upon new Revelations not upon what is revealed already through the mediation of the Prophets and Apostles and communicated by their successors but upon what shall be immediately revealed from heaven and this groundless ground of faith is opposed to that which is the true ground of faith indeed and made of equal authority therewith so that upon this ground every private mans sayings and affirmations are of as great authority and as much to be regarded as the divinely inspired sayings of the Prophets and Apostles and this must needs be so were there any truth in mens pâ—etended Revelations for undoubtedly we owe as much faith reverence and obedience to every Revelation from heaven how mean soever the person be that receives it as we do to any part of Gods Word already revealed though by the greatest Patriarch or Prophet that ever lived upon earth 7. All dependence upon new Revelations laies a secret stain of dishonour upon God and this in two respects 1. That God notwithstanding his several methods of divine Revelation by the Patriarchs and Prophets of old by his own Son Jesus Christ and his Apostles in these last daies should yet be defective in making known to his people the waies of his service and of their own salvation 2. All pretence to new lights and Revelations makes God the Father of Lights with whom is no variablenesse or shadow of change to vary and change his minde as oft as the fickle and deceitful mindes of men do alter Nay thus God
is made to speak things quite opposite and contrary to himself whilest the several conceits secret suggestions and whispers of mens hearts which are as numerous as the sand and contrarious as light and darkness are yet all under pretence of immediate Revelation fixed upon God who changeth not 8. It doth extremely much derogate and detract from the honour of holy Christian Religion to have no better ground and foundation then either the divinity of the Heathens of old or that of the Mahometans which of later times hath so far overspread and swallowed up so many Christian Kingdomes and flourishing Common-wealths in the world and both the one and the other of these not only derive their original but also their progresse successe and present continuance doth depend upon immediate Revelations which no good Christian surely doth doubt to be any other then Diabolical Delusions The Divinity of the Heathens was such as the Priests of their respective Temples and Oracles delivered to the people in their prophetick trances for celestial Responses and divine inspirations And the more subtil and sublime of the heathen Philosophers recommend unto us an Ecstatical contemplation even to the abolition of the understanding and Reason as the highest and most perfect way of divine knowledge Mahomet began with Raptures and extasies and supposed Revelations of Angels He therefore that shall seriously consider the monstrous Idolatries of the one and the horrid Blasphemies of the other will be careful surely how he trusts unto or depends upon immediate Revelations 9. This doctrine of immediate Revelation should it be granted is not safe for sober and peaceable-minded Christians to embrace or depend upon it but is fittest rather for such persons whose destructive plots and designs under the mask of Religion are to dethrone and murder Christian Princes ruine well establisht government and governors both Ecclesiastick and Civil massacre their Christian brethren rob ruine and destroy whatever opposes their designs and private perswasions in point of faith and manners how sacred and useful soever it be such mischiefs and barbarous cruelties when open force is wanting to effect may be and too often have been effected by pretended Revelations and men of ecstatical and seduced fancies who have though they have greatly merited thereby and done God good service by destroying the enemies of his Truth and abolishing Haeresie Superstition c. when as indeed they have made havock of a people more righteous then themselves destroy'd the truth and true worship of God open'd the way to disorder and confusion and this through perjury sacriledge murder rebellion and the breach of all the lawes of piety justice and charity 10. The neglect of the means of saving knowledge viz. learning divine and humane and to depend upon Revelation without the use of such means is the way to advance Lady Ignorance again as the mother of devotion to drown the world in Barbarism Espencaeus to reduce the Church of Christ to that sad condition wherin it was in the ninth age which was called The unlearned and the unhappy age of the Church wherein he that studied Philosophy and the Mathematicks was counted a Magician he that knew the Greek tongue was shrewdly suspected but if he understood Hebrew also he was no better then an Haeretique 'T is observed by the learned both Historians and Divines that all the ten bloudy persecutions of the Church by the Heathen Emperors did not so damage holy Christian Religion as did the subtil underminings of Julian the Apostate Euseb eccl hist l. 10. c. 32. Soz. l. 5. c. 5. Theod. l. 3. c. 7. who fought not against Christian Religion as did the rest of the persecuting Emperors with fire and faggot but by taking from them all offices of dignity and places of preferment all Ecclesiastical promotions and Church priviledges and more especially by putting down and forbidding all Schools of learning for the training up their youth in the knowledge of tongues and sciences that so the light of holy Religion might be lost in the dark of ignorance and decay of arts For Arts and Tongues are the handmaids to holy Religion these as 't were hold the candle whilest the sacred light of Truth is display'd for our direction in the waies of light and life everlasting 11. He tempts the good Spirit of God who expects to receive the knowledge of Truth by immediate Revelation and miracle which by ordinary common and known means is attainable Dominum tentare est novo miraculo velle pâ—rficere quod aliis rationibus sieri potest so the Devil tempted our Lord to seed himself with the bread of a miracle when Gods ordinary and common providence yeelded bread enough Mat. 4.3 and to cast him self down from the pinnacle of the Temple when the way to come down by steps was plain and easie without any such praecipitation That dependence upon immediate Revelation is unnecessary and consequently uselesse and unprofitable is manifest from what hath been already said from the sufficiency of Gods revealed Truth and is yet further manifest from the vain and bootlesse issue of all such dependence For what sacred Mysteries of holy Religion have been either made known or more plainly unfolded by immediate Revelation in these last daies since the time of Christ and his Apostles many Impostures and lies many Haeresies and errors many Schismes and divisions have fancied Revelations brought forth but that any sound soul-saving truth hath been of later times immediately revealed I could yet never hear or read of by any authentick witnesses and it is most just with God to give men up to the vanity of their minde and to the delusions of their own hearts who thus tempt his holy Spirit by leaving the known and beaten paths of Truth revealed to depend upon what is unnecessary useless and vain and not only so but also 12. Dependence upon immediate Revelations laies us open to the delusions of Satan 2 Cor. 11.14 who transforming himself into an angel of light insinuates his suggestions and diabolical doctrines under the shew and vizard of divine Revelations Many pious men have been deluded by this wile of the Devill and have faln into grosse errors Tert. de anima c. 9. Tertullian though he observed this and saw how grosly many of Montanus sect were cheated into foul mistakes and errors upon fancied Revelations yet notwithstanding so strongly doth the Devil work upon the fancy by the force of this inchantment that he himself was deceived also and became a Montanist being cousened hereunto especially by the pretended Revelations of a holy sister whom he much extols in his tract de Animâ whose pretended vision of the substance of a soul corporally exhibited to her view made him believe the soul to be corporeal and although for this opinion he was not condemned for haeresie neither yet was guilty of those more gross and blasphemous opinions of the Montanists which their fancied Revelations brought forth
should serve the turn 3. The sacrifices under the Law were weak and insufficient as to the taking away of sins but the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all is a sufficient sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 and that 's the scope of vers 12. I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more Cognitio viae cognitio patriae Lyr. in Loc. And for the further clearing of these words They shall not teach c. There is a twofold knowledge of God 1. In this life 2. In the life to come And to both of these the words in their literal sense do relate 1. That in this life the knowledge of God under the Gospel was not at the first taught by man but by the blessed Son of God himself by him the Apostles were instructed at the first and not one of another And to him this prophesie is by himself applied they shall be all taught of God Joh. 6.45 2. That in the life to come all the blessed Saints of God from the least to the greatest shall truly know God without the mediation of humane Teaching For then shall we see God as he is when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away 1 Cor. 1.3.9 10. But that in this life the people shall have no need of Pastors to teach them the knowledge of God is a false collection from the words For as under the Law Moses taught Gods will unto the people and afterwards they that sate in Moses chair so under the Gospel 1. Christ himself revealed and taught Gods will to his Church and afterwards his Apostles and their successors in all ages since this being one of the promises and priviledges of the Gospel thine eyes shall see thy teachers Isa 30.20 And of the gifts of the Spirit He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4.11 12. For as the same Apostle demands How shall they i.e. any people believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a preacher Rom. 10.14 where preaching and hearing are affirmed to be the necessary mediums of receiving the Gospel and believing in Christ Another place to the same purpose is alledged 1 Joh. 2. â—0 1 Joh. 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things And vers 27. The anointing which ye have received from him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lie and even as he hath taught you remain in him still This Vnction from the holy one teaching and whereby these Disciples were taught all necessary Truths is the holy Spirit sent down from Christ the holy one upon his Apostles who being replenisht with his coelestial gifts were not only themselves led into all Truth but did also teach their disciples the same And the same anointing abideth in you i.e. The same spiritual gifts viz. of prophesie of miracles of tongues c. did still as yet abide in their Churches for the confirmation of those Truths which they had been taught and hereby even by those sacred persons which had these gifts they were held up to the Truth and kept free from the seducements of Heretiques And ye need not that any man teach you So far as they were already taught and knew all things already that were necessary to be known they had no need of any man to teach them namely as ignorant and seduced persons have need of Teachers the ignorant must be taught that they may learn what they knew not before and the seduced and erroneous must be taught that they may return to that faith from which they are faln but these faithful persons to whom the Apostle here writes were it seems neither ignorant nor yet seduced and in neither of these respects had need of teaching But yet in other Respects both these disciples and all others that do both know and persevere also in the Truth have need of Teachers still by whose assistance and direction they may 1. Be confirmed and strengthned to persist in the Truth already received 2. Grow up and increase daily in the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ 3. Be armed against the fair words and cunning speeches of such as lie in wait to deceive The like place 1 Thess 4.9 1 Thess 4.9 which may help also to the further clearing of this is 1 Thess 4.9 Touching brotherly love ye have no need that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Taught of God but how not by immediate Revelation but by the Gospel of Christ the Son of God who doth so often ineulcate this lesson of brotherly love Joh. 13.34 35. 15.17 And the like is to be said of all other Gospel Truths all of them we are taught of God From him they descend originally he is the fountain of Truth and Christs is the Conduit through whom the waters of life do flow from God to Christ from Christ to his Apostles from them to their Successors and Disciples Pastors and people in all ages But withal 't is confessed and with all thankfulness of soul to be acknowledged That there is an inward teaching of God as well as an outward viz. the dictate of the Spirit within as well as the doctrine of the Word without These two God hath joyned together and we must not presume to part them by depending upon the one without the other for as all study and meditation reading and hearing the Word are ineffectual if the inward influence of Gods Spirit does not open the wndowes of the soul to receive the light displayed thence so the inward influence and working of Gods Spirit is ordinarily and for the most part silent and stirreth not but by reading hearing meditating of the word and of good instructions thence derived the one being as the body and the other the soul of Religion and when these two meet together viz. the unction without and the anointing within or when the spiritual gifts of the Ministery and graces of the people concur or when then the outward effusions of the Spirit in the word fall upon hearts infused and seasoned with Grace and Obedience then are these several promises accomplished then are a people truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The taught of God indeed or which is all one then are they the true Disciples of Christ The next memorable place misapplyed to patronize extraordinary and immediate Revelations is that prophesie of Joel 2.28 remembred to be accomplisht Joel 2.28 Act. 2.16 c. Act. 2.16 c. It shall come to passe in the last daies saith God I will powre out of my
because they did seemingly contradict the dictates of their natural reason Of the 2. sort are all vicious sinful persons who are so wedded either to their carnal delights or to their worldly ends and interests that holiness humbleness self-denial taking up the crosse and the rest of such commands in the Gospel are altogether disrelished they are foolishnesse unto them For the 2. The things of the Spirit of God are reducible to two heads 1. Pia dogmata 2. Bona opera i. e. either 1. Holy doctrines to be believed Or 2. Good works to be performed The first are contradictory and seemingly foolish to the natural mans reason and judgement and the 2 d. to the natural mans affections and conversation And the reason is given because they are spiritually discerned For 1. The holy doctrines of Christiany many of them are above the reach of natural reason and only by the eye of faith which is a gift of the Spirit to be discerned 2. The good works by Christ in his Gospel enjoyned many of them are cross to the natural mans inclinations It must be a higher principle even the quickning grace of the Spirit that does open our eyes to discern them to be the way of blessednesse and so incline our hearts to yeeld obedience thereunto So that the truth delivered in the first part of this text consists of two branches or The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God two waies 1. In that the mysteries of the holy Christian faith are not discernible by the eye of natural reason 2. In that the Christian duties or good works of the Gospel are not relished not obeyed by men of meer natural affections and inclinations But he that is Spiritual judgeth all things The spiritual man is such a one 1. Whose understanding is enriched with the Gifts 2. Whose affections are rectified by the Graces of the Spirit Or 1. Whose natural reason looks into the things of the Spirit viz. the doctrines duties of Christianity with the eye of faith 2. Whose affections and desires are inclined hereunto by love and obedience He judgeth all things viz All those things of Gods Spirit which natural men judge to be foolish and contrarious to their reason and to their felicity he rightly judges to be most wise and most conducible to the attainment of that perfection and blessedness whereunto being after the image of God he is created Yet he himself is judged of no man As being above and out of the reach of the censures and judgements of natural men All whose censures and censorious detractions of him he values not as knowing them to be both rash and idle foolish and false 2 Cor. 4.3 But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Whence 't is alledged that the Gospel of Christ is clear and intelligible enough to the children of Gods election and heirs of the promise without the help or assistance of any humane learning Answ But the Apostle treats not in this place of the understanding but of the preaching of the Gospel affirming only that the word of God was not deceitfully handled but the truth thereof was made so manifest by the sincere preaching of the Apostles vers 2. that it remained dark and obscure to none but such as were in a lost condition men of an obstinate obdurate reprobate sense In whom as it followes vers 4. the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them that beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them And the Gospel is hid to them that are lost two waies 1. When they receive it not being plainly preached to them or approved to their conscience in the sight of God as in vers 2. Or else 2. When they do hear and receive it but not aright And men do not rightly receive the Gospel 1. When they do not acquiesce and rest in it as the undoubted way of life 2. When they do not readily obey and put in practise what the Gospel enjoyns and commands 3. When they persevere not are not constant in this faith and obedience To this text many more are urg'd wherein the priviledge of the Saints and servants of God as to the understanding of his will both mediately and immediately Psal 25.14 Mat. 5.8 Joh. 10.4 c. Ps 25.14 The secrâ—t of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God Christs sheep do know his voice and follow him but a stranger will they not follow neither do they know th' voice of strangers Joh. 10.4 5. with the places before remembred Mat. 11.25 2 Cor. 1.26 27. From which and many other places both of the old and new Testament 't is alledged that the elect the Saints holy and humble men and such as fear God have a secret teaching from God whereby they understand his Word and will without the help of humane learning they are that new Hierusalem which hath no need of the light of Sun Moon or candle but the Lord God is the light thereof Rev. 21. They are the Saints that know all things and need not that any should teach them And though they be illiterate yet do they know more of God then the Learned and great ones of the world whom the god of this world hath blinded that they cannot see Christ through the thicket of profane learning and unprofitable speculations To clear all which Texts from the false glosses which unlearned and unstable men have put upon them to patronize their own want of learning and inconstancy in the way of truth T is confessed 1. That only the pure and holy only such who are sanctified by the Spirit of Grace have the true and saving knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ But withall we must remember that there is a twofold knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ 1. The one doctrinal and speculative which is not ordinarily obtainable but in the use of outward means and the blessing of God thereupon 2. The other practical or the sanctified use of this doctrinal knowledge by the immediate influence of Gods Spirit upon the soul enquickning and perfecting the same in all obedience and holiness of life as the body is enquickned and animated by the soul And the former of these must ever precede and go before the later For all holiness and obedience to the will of God does presuppose the knowledge thereof Prius est Deum nosse posteà colere saith Lactantius no man can do the will of God that knowes it not nor make a sanctified use of that knowledge which he hath not obtained but as in the procreation of the natural man 1. The body is formed and then 2. The soul infused So of the spiritual man also 1. The body of sacred knowledge must be conceived and framed in the minde 2. The
Church maintained 1 Cor. 13.7 2. To be with all obedience prepared in heart to assent to the Dictates of the Church whether universal or particular that are agreeable to such revealed Truths Mat. 18.17 3. To judge charitably each of other accounting all such for our Christian brethren who profess this same Christian faith and are of this Christian minde and spirit Col. 2.16 4. To sympathize in each others affections which includes several particulars as 1. To sorrow for the sins and errors of others 2. To condole in the sufferings of others or to weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 As also to congratulate the prosperities of others or to rejoyce with them that rejoyce which enjoynes also 3. To rejoyce as do the Angels of heaven at the conversion of a sinner or any misguided soul from the errors of his waies Luk. 15.7 5. To pray for the growth and perseverance of all holy and orthodox persons in faith and obedience and for the conversion of all profane schismatical and heretical persons and for the reunion of all such to the Church as are divided from it 1 Sam. 12.23 Psal 122.6 1 Tim. 2.1 6. To hold communion in our desires and affections with all such as are divided from us in perswasion and judgement and by all means to endevour an external communion with them according to our several powers and in our several places and offices Gal. 6.1 The external communion consists also of several branches As 1. In the oral confession of the same Creeds or Symbols of Christian Faith Rom. 10.9 10. 2 Tim. 1.13 2. In the participation of the same Sacraments 1 Cor. 10.16 3. In the admission of and submission unto the same Apostolical discipline and government Heb. 13.17 4. In the use of the same Liturgies or publique forms of external divine worship 1 Cor. 1.10 Rom. 15.6 4. Hence by the rule of contraries 't wil appear plainly who is a Schismatique or in what respects the guilt of Schism is contracted 1. He is guilty of Schism who withdrawes his assent from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles either as 't is by the Church universal professed or else as 't is exprest by the doctrine and establisht by the Lawes of that particular Church whereof he is a member whilest this particular Church opposes not the doctrine of the Church Catholique for when any particular person shall in any point of faith oppose his private opinion against the publique judgement of the Church this is not only Schism in him but such a branch of Schism also as coincident with Heresie whereof before 2. He who shall limit the Church of Christ to his own particular sect or fraternity saying we are the Church we are the elect and people of God Recepimus pro misstones dâ— universalitate ecclesiae toto mundo diffusae si ergo angelus de coelo tibi has premissiones tenenti diceret Dimitte Christianitatem totius orbis tene partem Donati anathema esse deberet quia ted toto praecicidere in partem contrudere conaretur alienare à promissis Dei Aug. Epist 165. and all who joyn not in communion with us are cast-awaies and out of the State of salvation he is guilty of Schism in that he cuts off the main body of Christian people or rather cuts off himself and his own fraternity from the main body of Christs holy Catholick Church So the Donatists of old limited the Church of Christ to their own sect and the confines thereof to that part of Africk where they inhabited contrary to the promises of God who hath given unto Christ the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Psal 2.8 Gen. 22. In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed whereupon the Father infers since we have the promises of God concerning the universality of the Church to be diffused and spread over the face of the earth if therefore an Angel from heaven should say unto thee Forgo thy relation to the Catholick Church and be of this or that particular Church or sect which saith we and we only are the Church and people of God he ought to be accursed because he hath endevoured to cut thee off from the whole and to limit thee to a part and thereby by to alienate thee from the promises of God in Christ Jesus A third branch of Schiâ—m necessarily depends upon and flowes from the second And this is rashly to judge and uncharitably to condemn the Churches or societies of our Christian brethren so the Montanists perswaded their followers to speak evil of the universal Church where ever spread over the face of the earth and not only to deny thereunto all reverence and esteem Euseb eccl hist l. 5. c. 16. but also in no wise to joyn with them of this kinde of Schism are all such guilty who refuse to joyn with their Christian brothren in the publique service of God under pretence of separating from the wicked of the world who with the proud Pharisee in the Gospel presumptuously justifie themselves and their own Church and faction and unjustly condemn all others Luk. 18.9 who are so pure in their own eyes as to say to others Verè existimemus posse aliquid esse occultum in alio quo vebis superior sit etiam si bonum nostrum quo illo videmur superiores esse non sit occulium Aug. de verbis Apo. ser 21. Stand by thy self come not neer to me I am holier then thou Isa 65.5 little esteeming the exhortation of the Apostle Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of minde let each esteem other better then themselves For saith the Father hereupon There may be those secret and hidden vertues in others whereby they do excell thee though that whereby thou doest seem to excell others be not secret but apparent 4. To have no Christian sympathy or fellow feeling either of the sins or sufferings of our Christian brethren is a fourth branch of Schism For as in the natural body if one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoyce 1 Cor. 12.26 And the reason is given vers 25. That there should be no Schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another So it is in the mystical body of Christ as it followes vers 27. Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular That there be no Schism therefore 't is required that we have the same care one for another and according to the same Apostles injunction Gal. 6.2 Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ who hath borne the burden of our sins and so must we by his Law of charity bear one anothers burdens both of sins and sufferings or else we manifest our selves to be no true members of his mystical body but either
truth which their understandings being not able to digest they are intoxicated therewith and stagger like drunken men being tossed and fro with every winde of doctrine against which presumption the wise Syracides admonisheth Ecclus. 3.21 Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things that are above thy strength But what iâ— commanded thee think thereupon with reverence For many are deceived through their own vain opinion and an evil suspiâ—ion hath overthrown their judgement Hence 4. Even from ignorance under the pretext of knowledge 't is the custome of Heretiques to snarle and detract and speak evil of those Truths the profound and deep excellency whereof their darkned understandings cannot fathom so they are described 2 Pet. 2.12 and Jude vers 10. To speak evil of the things they understand not As the Jewes because they understood not Christs Doctrine of the bread of life therefore they strove amongst themselves saying How can this man give us his flesh to eat Joh. 6.52 And Nicodemus because he understood not the nature of Regeneration was offended at the doctrine saying How can a man be born when he is old c. Joh. 3.4 Whereas all good Christians who have any grain of true faith do believe with reverence even those mysteries of godliness which they understand not expecting with all humility and obedience till they shall be opened and made known unto them Hist eccl l. 7. c. 13. So Eusebius records of Dionysius Alexand who speaking of the Revelation of S. John saith I do not impugn those things therein which I understand not but rather admire them the more for that they are above my understanding And S. Aug. gives us this rule to be observed as touching the mysteries of holy Religion Quod secundum fidem qua imbuti sumus inteligere valucrimus tanquam de cibo guadeaâ—us quod secundum saâ—aâ—n sidei regulam intelligere non poterimus bonum tanen verum esse minime dubitemus Aug. in Joh. tract 18. What according to the measure of faith wherewith we are endowed we do understand aright let us therein rejoyce as 't is the food of our souls but what we cannot according to the sound rule of faith conceive we must not therefore doubt but to be holy just and good Hence 5. ariseth so much levity and inconstancy of minde in all heretical and schismatical persons like children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine Ephes 4.14 Even as children for want of judgement distinguish not betwixt wholsome and unwholsome diet betwixt food and poyson so all persons become erroneous and wavering for want of knowledge and judgement rightly to distinguish betwixt light and darkness tares and wheat corn and chaffe betwixt what is the food and what they poyson of their souls therefore they are compared to clouds without water carried about with windes Jude vers 12. denoting the emptiness of sound knowledge which renders them not only inconstant in the tenents of religious Truths but also obnoxious both to the broaching and belief of lies having ever an itching desire to things new and strange but with the Israelites loathing the old Manna though it be the food of Angels for no other reason but because they are accustomed to it And this spiritual itch a more baneful disease then the corporal is grown epidemical and so overspreading the body of our Church as that prophesie of the Apostle hath at no time been more manifestly fulfilled then in these our daies 2 Tim. 4.3.4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables This itch saith the Father Pruritus in auribus spiritualiter fornicantibus sicut pruritu libidinis in carne corrumpitur integritas castitatis Aug. in Joh. Hom. 43. is as pernicious to the purity of Truth as is the itch of lust to the vertue of chastity for hence many solid and soul-saving Truths are often contemned for their antiquity because they were heard of before and so they tickle not their itching ears And lies and errors are readily embrac'd in their stead meerly for their novelty And those teachers which feed this humor and claw this itch by bringing things new and strange to their ears are the only persons they lust after delight in and follow by heaps and multitudes But undoubtedly amongst many other this is one infallible mark whereby to distinguish Truth from Error and consequently Heretiques and Schismatiques from orthodox Christians Truth like the Sun in the firmament is ever one and the same and constant to it self but Error changes like the Moon is multifarious and endless knowes no stint or limits therefore Tertullian cals the faith of Heretiques Fides annua menstrua sides temporum non evangeliorum Not like the faith of the Gospel which is fixt and setled permanent and constant but the faith of a year or of a moneths continuance and the faith of the times as the times change and alter so doth the Religion commonly of all seduced and erroneous persons From which inconstancy new sect and parties daily and hourly do arise amongst Heretiques as from the shop of Simon Magus Heresie sprung all those innumerable sorts of Heretiques in the Church till the time of the Manichaean heresie And these Manichees were also subdivided into Catharists Macarians and Manichees strictly so called From Arrius sprung the Macedonians Aerians Aetians Aug. cont Don. l. 1. c. 6. and innumerable others Donatus party saith S. Aug. was soon broken into many lesse and smaller parcels Denique penitus inspectae omnâ—s haereses in multis cum autoribus suis dissentientes deprehenduntuâ— Teit. de prae cont Haer. c. 42. The Anabaptists amongst us are subdivided into Antinomians Brownists Seekers Ranters Quakers Familists c. And finally saith the Father look into all Heresies and you may easily finde them in many things dissenting even from their own authors and Founders And seldome shall you see Heretiques agree in any one point except it be to oppose and cry down the Truth as Herod and Pilat against Christ 6. From the same dark Abysse of Ignorance Neque n. natae sunt haereses quaedam dogmata illaqueantia animos in profundum praecipitantia nisi dum scripturae bonae intelligerentur male quod in its non bene imelligitur etiam temere audacter asseritur Aug. in Joh. Tract 18. under the semblance of self-conceited wisdome hath sprung that which is of all others the greatest cause of Heresies viz. The misinterpretation and mis-application of the holy Scriptures For saith the Father Heresie had never sprung up nor false doctrines bewitching and destroying the souls of men had never been broacht had not the good word of God been ill understood and that also which is but ill and weakly understood been rashly
feared the fabrick of the Bath would fall upon them all that were there since Cerinthus the enemy of truth is in it Iren. adâ—â—rs Haer. l. 3. c. 3. And Polycarpus who was S. Johns disciple and heard these words from the Apostle meeting with Marcion another Heretique who saying unto him Cognosce nos acknowledge us for the true Disciples of Christ answered I know thee to be the first born of Satan So great fear saith Irenaeus had the Apostle and their Disciples of having any communication with persons that had depraved and corrupted the Truth according to Tit. 3.10 For. nulla ab iis tanta potest esse corruptio Id. l 4. c. 62. quanta est schismatis pernicies saith the same Father Athanasius Apparet Antichristos omnes esse quos constat à charitate atque ab unitate ecclesiaeâ—ecessisse Opt. l. 1. and Epiphanius deny Heretiques nisi homonymâ—s to be called Christians and Optatus tels us that Schismatiques are the Antichrists spoken of by S. John 1 Joh. 2.18 for so they are described vers 19. They went out from us but they were not of us c. Which is the way of Schism and the description of Schismatiques and he instances in Novatian qui extra ecclesiam consistens inter Antichristos computetur The Samaritans who were Schismatiques from the Jewish Church Addendo autem civitatem Samaritanoâ—um detâ—re omitti ubi erant schismatici ostendit schismaticos Gemilibus adaequari Cyp. Ep. 76. Id. ibid. the Jewes therefore had no conversation with them Joh. 4.9 And they are reckoned by our Saviour with the Gentiles Mat. 10.5 8. The sad condition of all Heretiques and Schismatiques lying under the guilt of grievous sin and being obnoxious thereby to the judgements of God is frequently also remembred by the Fathers How are they without all hope saith Cyprian and incur Gods heavy indignation to their own ruine who make a Schism the holy Scripture doth declare in the book of the Kings where the ten tribes making a breach and Schism in the Church and departing from Judah and Benjamin the Lord is said to be wroth with the whole seed of Israel And by the example of Corah Dathan and Abiram is manifested and proved saith the same Father in the same place that they are not only guilty of great sin Aug. â—p 164. but liable to grievous punishment who rashly joyn themselves with Schismatiques Illud scelus ad exemplum devitaudi God for the present so grievously punished the sin of Corah and his complices giving us thereby an example saith S. Aug. to avoid the same and shewing that when he spares to punish such persons in this life the greater punishment he reserves for them in the life to come which is affirmed 2 Pet. 2.9 For God will judge such persons saith Irenaeus who make Schisms and divisions minding more their own utility then the Churches unity Qui propter modicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum corpus Christi conscindunt who for every light cause and unnecessary scruples rend the great and glorious body of Christ Irâ—n l. 4. c. 62. and as much as in them lies destroy the same speaking of peace and charity but making war and division straining at a gads and swallowing the camel Gods service is the way of mans salvation and that nation or kingdome which will not serve the Lord shall penish Isa 6.12 The ground and foundation of Gods service is faith for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Now the true holy and orthodox faith is but one Eph. 4.5 therefore termed the unity of faith vers 13. Now he that pleaseth not God by the mean of a true faith doth displease and fight against him by the opposition of a false faith according to our Saviours own rule Mat. 12.30 Ho that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad And undoubtedly he that is against Christ he that is his adversary makes himsel immediately liable to eternal condemnation which is effected by every one that holds not the unity of the true faith for he that bâ—leeveth not in me is condemned already Joh. 3.18 In a word as the true faith believed and obeyed is the way of life so a false faith embrac't and followed is the high way of death and ruine as the word of truth is the key of the kingdome of heaven so the word of untruth and error is the key that opens the gates of hell as the first is that true and sacred light which discovers and clears the way that leads to light and life everlasting so the latter is the ignis fatuus the false fire that misguides the wandring souls of men to the confines of that kingdome where dwelleth blackness of darkness of that kingdome where dwelleth blackness of darkness for evermore Of all seducers and maintainers of Heresies the Apostle S. Peter affirms that they bring upon themselves swift destruction that their judgement of a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. CHAP. VIII Rules and directions for the avoiding of Errors in Religion THat we might be the better armed against the assaults of Heretiques and heretical opinions in Religion our Lord and Master hath not only foretold us that false teachers should in all ages of the Church arise and errors spring up with the truth Mat. 24.23 7.15 Mar. 13.21 Luk. 17.23 as tares amidst the wheat but also hath strictly charged us to beware of them not to follow after them nor believe them whose pretences shall be so plausible their outward appearances of holiness so specious and taking and their words and works by the secret and invisible assistance of Satan so extraordinary as that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect The Apostles of Christ treading in the same steps with their Lord and even in their own daies seeing his words fulfilled Gal. 1.7 1 Tim. 5.12 2 Tim. 3.6 7. 4.3 4. 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. Jude 8. Eph. 4 14. Rom. 16.17 18. 1 Joh. 4.1 and false Prophets arising not only severely inveigh against them but also impose upon us the same strict care and caution not to be seduced by them or like children to be tossed to and fro and carryed about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive To yeeld obedience to these several injunctions and to stand fast in the true faith rooted and built up therein against the assaults of false and deceitful workers these following directions will be useful 1. To be well and throughly instructed in the grounds and principles of holy Religion For as no firm and durable building can be raised without a good foundation laid so no man can be built up in the most holy faith and firmly setled in the truth except the foundation and ground-work be first well and surely
laid in the right understanding and firm adherence to the principles of holy Religion Now the general ground and foundation of all holy and saving Truth is the word of God or the divinely inspired writings of Moses and the Prophets in the old and of Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the head corner stone Eph. 2.20 But although all things contained in the holy Scriptures be infallibly true and in some respect or other usefull and edifying yet all are not therefore fundamentall Truths Those principles of holy truth contained in the Scriptures which are fundamental are according to the doctrine of the Church reduced to five Heads 1. Repentance 2. Faith Ch. catec 3. Obedience 4. Prayer 5. Sacraments If any winde of doctrine move us from off any of the grounds our souls must needs suffer the shipwrack of holy Truth and be split upon the rocks of false erroneous opinions As to these principles therefore these particular rules must be observed for the avoiding of errors 1. And first for Repentance which is termed the foundation of Christian Doctrine Heb. 6.1 He that will not build but upon what is the foundation of truth must not admit of any opinion whatsoever that shall take him off from the constant confession of his sins with all humility and godly sorrow remembring that there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7.20 And the only means left us to recover our selves out of the snares of sin is by Repentance to wash our hearts with the tears of godly sorrow for sin to empty our souls of them by confession and make them clean by more stedfast purposes and strong resistance against all temptations unto sin And this is the first part of that Baptismal vow or of that covenant we made with God when any of us by holy and lawful Baptism were admitted into the bosome of his Church even to forsake the devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh or manfully to sight under the banner of Christ against the devil the world and the flesh which is no other but to adhere to the doctrine and to continue in the practise of true Repentance 2. As to Faith which is joyned with Repentance as another essential part of the same foundation of Truth Heb. 6.1 't is necessary for the avoiding of Errors to admit of no opinion relating to Religion that is not agreeable to those Articles of the Christian faith summarily exprest in the Apostles Creed which is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or form of sound words in faith Symbolum Apâ—slorum est râ—gula fidei vestrae brevis grandis braevis numâ—ro verborum graâ—dis pondere sentâ—ntâ—arum Aug. de Temp. we are commanded to hold fast 2 Tim. 1.13 That modell of faith once given to Saints we are commanded earnestly to contend for Jud. 3. The Apostles Creed saith S. Aug. is the rule of your faith which is though short yet weighty short in the number of words but weighty in sentences or the several articles thereof The Gospel of Christ is indeed the grand Rule of faith whereof this lesser Rule the Apostles Creed is the sum and Epitome And he that gees besides and not according to the Rule of faith goes not forward in the way but backward from the way of Truth 3. As to Obedience To entertain no opinion that agrees not with that all-perfect rule of Righteousness the Decalogue or ten Commandements of the moral Law for whatsoever shall oppose thwart make void or any way take off our obedience to any of Gods Commandements is to be rejected as false and erroneous Whosoever saith our Lord shall break one of these least Commandements and teach men so to do he shall be called least in the Kingdome of heaven that is saith the Glosse the most despised in the Church of Christ Minimus in râ—gno h. c. dâ—spectissimuâ— in ecclesia quia decidit à side Lir. in loc and the reason is given because he is saln from the faith he is lapst into error which is expresly asserted by S. John Hereby we are sure we know God if we keep his commandements he that saith he knowes God and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.3 4. And in order to this Rule 't is necessary also to admit of no opinion that tends to the breach of either of those general Rules of Charity which is the fulfilling of the Law viz. To love God above all and thy neighbour as thy self for on these two hang all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22.37 c. Whatsoever therefore doth not tend either 1. to the inflaming of our souls with the sacred fire of divine love to the advancement of Gods glory and the promoting of his service both inward and outward As also whatsoever 2. tends not to the maintenance of love and unity justice and charity innocence and beneficence towards our neighbors is not to be entertained as a beam shining from the light of holy Truth but as a slash of illusion suggested by the spirit of Error Hereby shall all men know that you are my disciples if ye love one another Joh. 13.35 He omits saith the Father the gift of Miracles Tongues Prophesies Aug. Knowledge to understand all mysteries Faith to remove mountains by none of those but by your charity you shall be known to be my disciples 6 As to the doctrine of Prayer That we admit of no opinion that shall take us off either from the frequent and fervent use of holy Prayers in general or more particularly from the use of the Lords Prayer the which is not only commanded by our Lord to be used when we pray Luk. 11.2 but by the which also we do communicate in our prayers with all holy orthodox Christians there being no time when ever we do use this prayer but many thousands of pious persons are at the same time powring forth their souls unto God in the words of the same prayer To neglect therefore much more to despise the use of this prayer if it be not a piece of disobedience to the plain and positive command of Christ and so a branch of Hecesie yet 't is a depriving our selves of the greatest benefit of the Communions of Saints and so a branch of Schism 7. As to the Sacraments that we reject what ever doth either obstruct the use or deny the efficacy either of Baptism or the Supper of the Lord Mat 26 26 27. c 28 1â— Joh. 6.51.53 Act. 2.38 The use thereof being positively commanded and the efficacy thereof as positively asserted by Christ himself These being also the seales of the covenant of grace Baptism the seale of our admission and the Eucharist of our confirmation in the
conform to his example He had his feigned Visions Paulus Odor bornius in vita qâ—at l. 2. and Revelations also and yet a greater Tyrant and a more bloudy villain Christendome hath not seen The Scribes and Pharisees of the Jewish Church and the Novatians and Donatists of the Christian were far greater pretenders to piety and strictness of life then the truly orthodox of either Church and yet very great and notorious Schismatiques Not to be cousened therefore with fair and goodly pretences of any party or sect of men how seemingly holy and zealous soever and pretending that they have Christ that they have the Spirit that they only are in the right when they are deeply involv'd in an abysse of errors our Lord hath fore-arm'd us with sound and saving counsell Mat. 24.23 c. Then if any shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or lo there believe it not for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets Wherefore if they shall say Behold he is in the desert goe not forth behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not for as the lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West so shall the comming of the Son of man be Two rules for the avoiding infection by false Prophets under specious pretences are hence observable Habet unaquaecunque Haeresis vel certas mundi partes unde dâ— ecce hic ecce illâ—c 1. Every Heresie saith the Glosse is limited to some particular parts of the world and the infection is not universally diffused therefore 't is said Lo here or lo there If any man then shall limit Christ to his particular Church much lesse to his particular sect or fraternity believe it not for such are false Christs and false Prophets For the Truth displaid from Christ the Sun of righteousnesse Ne crâ—datur schismaticis nomine autem oâ—ientis occidentis totum orhem designat Gloss ordin like the light of the heaven is diffused from East to West or spread over the face of the whole earth which renders the Church i. e. all sound and sincere professors of the Truth as well Catholique as Holy Vel in occultis aut obscuris conventiculis curiositatem hominum decipit haeresiâ— Id. 2. Heresie and Schism seek out obscure and retired places and begin in conventicles and private meetings therefore 't is said Behold he is in the deserâ— behold he is in the secret chambers So the Apostle of deceivers also they creep into houses and lead captive silly women c. 2 Tim. 3.6 But Veritas non quaerit angulos Truth seeketh no lurking holes is not ashamed to appear in publique being like the light that shineth from East to West open free and manifest to all except forc't to retirement by persecution and violence 9. For the avoiding of errors 't will be necessary to observe further that a Truth is not to be disbelieved or rejected because 't is profest by lewd and licentious persons or maintained by a Church and people that are in other respects erroneous and misguided For Truth is Truth by what mouth soever it bee spoken and 't is the more confirmed to be Truth because 't is even by the enemies of Truth attested to be so The unwary neglect of this rule hath not been the least in let to manifold errors for 't is too usual with many to object both against orthodox truths and ecclesiastical orders on the one hand that this or that the Papists hold and against a strict careful conscientious life on the other that thus and thus the Puritans profess Hence many truths have been rejected for errors and many decent useful orders customes ceremonies and necessary acts of discipline have been cryed down as superstitious idolatrous and antichristian and the sacred body of religion it self is almost wholly turned out of the Church under the style of Popery Nor hath that piety and integrity of life which is required of particular persons escap'd better but under the notion of Puritanism hath been too much banisht from the lives and manners of men for fear of being branded with the guilt of Schism faction and separation 10 He that will not unawares headlong himself into the gulph of error must not presume upon any extraordinary infusion of Gifts and Graces from above but in all humility wait upon God in the use of means and the careful improvement of what gifts and graces he hath already received It is the manner of Heretiques and Hypocrites saith a learned man ever to pretend to high lights of the Spirit and to finde new Joh. Cast and unheard of waies of walking with God slighting all that is common though never so commendable and catching at all that is curious though never so dangerous and thus they lose themselves in their chymerical conceptions and pretending to refine ancient piety and truth are puft up with secret pride and presumption and grasp nothing but froth and vanity That there are such things as Extasies and more then ordinary ravishments of spirit and infusions of divine gifts and qualifications is not doubted but such supereminences only superexcellent souls are capable of neither yet are they afforded to all pious devout and heavenly minded persons that so none may presume to depend upon them but that every man should keep his station and walk humbly with his God not relying upon extraordinary inspirations in the neglect of ordinary means which is in many respects destructive and dangerous as in the former Treatise And although it be most true that the conversion of every man to the truth being a work of the Spirit is therefore sudden and at one instant or moment of time begotten and wrought in the soul yet notwithstanding our progress towards perfection and bliss in the waies of Truth and Holiness goes on step by step leisurely and by degrees The pathes of the just are as the shining light which shineth more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Both the knowledge of the Truth and the practise of holiness begins with dawnings like the light of the day all darkness of ignorance and sin being not presently and in the same instant dispel'd and scattered but by little and little the light of Grace and Truth increaseth and still more and more clearly shineth towards perfection and we ascend from gift to gift and from grace to grace as the Sun mounts up by degrees to the vertical point not unlike the motions of the Angels upon Jacobs ladder Gen. 18.12 who although they had wings did not suddenly fly up and down but ascended and descended step by step so saith the Apostle Adde to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance c. 2 Pet. 1.5 There be many now adaies wherein dissimulation and presumption so generally reigns who like to those heretical Messalians of old pretend to that perfection as to be above ordinances and means And although it be true that some few
Church opposes the judgement of the Catholick or universal Church in point of holy faith this necessarily makes one ingredient in the sin of Heresie for so he or they do not stand upon the rock whereupon holy faith is grounded nor rest on that pillar which upholds the Truth This saith Irenaeus is the way of life meaning the way of the Church and all the rest are theeves and robbers Whosoever he be that will obstinately persist in his own erroneous opinion Haec est vitae introitus omnes a. reliliqui fures sunt latrones Si quis tam obstinatè in suo errore peâ—sistat ut universam Christi ecclesiam audire nolit talis juxta Christi mandatum pro ethnico publicano nobis habendus est Irenaeus and refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee according to the command of Christ as a Heathen or Publican As in the natural body he is accounted a monster rather then a perfect man who hath any exuberant member that is disproportionate and not agreeable with the rest of the members of the body so in the mystical body of Christ he is an Heretique Sicut mensura est unius cujusque partis ita totius corporis quod omnibus suis partibus constat Aug. no orthodox Christian whose particular faith is exuberant and agrees not with the whole body of the Church according to that undeniable axiome Turpis est pars omnis toti non congrua That part is disorderly and sinful which agrees not with the whole whereof it is a part As there is but one faith Ephes 4.5 which is therefore called The unity of the faith vers 13. and though there be several articles or parts of holy Truth which constitute this one body of faith August yet saith the Father Veritas est veritati congrua one truth bears such a proportion with another as is agreeable to the whole so that the whole body of the true faith is like it self in all the parts or particular points thereof even so there is but one body Eph. 4.4 i. e. one Church professing this one faith Vna fides non numero sed genete qua similis in omnibus and though there be many members of this one body yet each true member is so proportionate to the whole as that all makes up but one orderly mystical body of Christ which ought to be as without spot or stain of sin so without the exuberant disorder of error 'T is the end and office of the Ministery to bring all Christians to this pitch of perfection even to be all incorporate as members of one mystical body of Christ by the unanimous acknowledgement of one faith Ephes 4.11 c. He gave some Apostles for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in love 4. The 4. ingredient of Heresie is to hold and maintain an error in faith with frowardness and opposition to lawful determinations For though all Christians cannot perhaps in their judgements submit to all lawful determinations of controversies in Religion yet however these are thereby obliged to a passive obedience to possesse their souls in patience not to oppose the authority and disturb the peace of the Church Remembring 1. That the unity peace and authority of the Church in general is more to be valued then any particular mans satisfaction And 2. That the publique resolution of the Church is to be preferred before any private mans perswasion to the contrary That opinion of S. Cyprians concerning Rebaptization was in him but an error because the Church had not determined any thing for or against it but after the Church had defin'd it and adjudged Rebaptization unlawful Euseb eccl hist lib. 7. c. 2. 't was in all persons that maintained it not an error only but an Heresie To sum up all in few words A man becomes guilty of Heresie 1. By disbeleeving any fundamental Article of Faith or necessary part of saving Truth in that sense as it was evermore received by the universal Church of Christ 2. By beleeving any superstitious Errors or Additions which do vertually and by necessary and evident consequence subvert any article of holy faith or overthrow a fundamental Truth 3. By beleeving and maintaining these or lesser errors then these with perversenesse and obstinacy after sufficient conviction 4. By beleeving and obstinately opposing private opinions in points of faith against the publique lawful Determinations of the Church to the contrary CHAP. IV. Of Schisme the nature and kindes thereof 1. SChism is so called from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to divide or rent the word is used 1 Cor. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there be no Schisms or divisions amongst you And because Schism and contention are inseparable twins what therefore in this verse are called Schisms in the next vers 11. are cal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there are contentions amongst you And the better to conceive what is meant by these schisms and contentions 't is exemplified vers 12. One saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollo another I am of Cephas and another will not depend upon any acknowledging neither Paul nor any mortal man to be his Tutor and instructer and he saith I am of Christ Thus the immaculate body of Christ is divided into parties and sects the partakers and followers of which several sects are therefore called Sectarists and Separatists viz. Such as cleave not to the whole body but follow some one part that is broken off and divided from the whole 2. Heresie and Schism in the mystical body of Christ do differ as an inward sicknesse and outward wound in the natural body of man but yet so that there are several internal aswel as external parts and branches of Schism for by how many waies and means communion is maintain'd amongst Christians by so many waies it may be broken and dissolv'd And every breach of communion is a Schism 3. Now the Communion to be maintained amongst Christians is either Internal External The internal communion hath several branches viz. 1. To beleeve and assent to all those saving truths revealed to us by Christ and his Apostles and in all ages of the