proceed from the Spirit of Error Now if you think that I am injurious in referring thus the trial of Spirits and doctrines only to this one Rule while I have told you before that S. John layeth down Two more in this Chapter to the same purpose I shall readily confess the charge but without any Imputation of injustice yea shall take advantage from hence the more to strengthen this Assertion and to lay down this as the chief and principal Rule forasmuch as both the others do relate to it and are instances of it For a free undaunted confessing of Christ in times of danger and loving cordially our Brethren are both of them chief branches of Christian vertue and holiness and indeed as they are almost above all other things commanded by our Saviour so they have the choicest and most endearing encouragements annexed to them So then the Argument from this place will be very clear and concluding for in that very place where S. John enjoyns the trial of Spirits and Doctrines he layeth down this as the great Rule for that trial and though he add Two other Rules also yet they are but particulars and branches of this great one And then the whole of the Apostles directions in this case amounts to thus much Whatever doctrine doth conduce to make men truly holy especially encourageth to the right taking up the Cross of Christ and a cordial constant love to our Brethren that doctrine issueth from the Spirit of Truth and whatever doctrine is contrary either to these Two single Christian vertues or to it in general doth certainly proceed from the Spirit of Error and this I take to be the natural and true purport of S. John in this Text. But I would not have you think that he is singular in this or without good authority for what he saith we shall find he had sufficient warrant from his great Master Christ Jesus as we may clearly see if we consider that speech of Christ Mat. 7.16 20. By their fruits ye shall know them In the preceding Verses our Saviour is forewarning his Disciples of the coming of false Prophets into the world and of the very specious pretences that they should make to deceive people by Having done this and caution'd against them he layeth down in this place a Rule to know and discover them by which Rule is very positive and plain and twice repeated that we should not doubt of it or forget it By their fruits ye shall know them i. e. by the natural consequences and fruits of their doctrines by such conclusions as do naturally and by right arguing follow from them So that the trial of Prophets is to be made by trial of their doctrines and these are to be tried by the natural consequences and effects of them not by what a man can discover in the professors or venters of such doctrines for these many times are very close and subtil Hypocrites and lead their lives with very great heed and wariness wearing the Sheeps skin to conceal the Wolfs heart and always putting on the form of godliness to cover their malicious and rotten designs and no wonder for Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light but by the natural consequences and effects of the doctrines For otherwise it were almost utterly impossible to make a discovery of doctrines by this Rule since all men do not live up exactly to the consequences of their own Tenets One man may have a right faith and yet lead a wicked life and another may have a rotten false belief in some particulars and yet be tolerably well in his life And there is no doubt but many a well-meaning man may embrace an Error in simplicity without understanding rightly what the mischievous consequences of it are yea perhaps without ever practising those consequences Men may be honest and yet careless and be imposed upon and so on the contrary too but I shall say more to this hereafter In the mean time we may rest satisfied that our Saviour means by fruits such things as are the natural consequences and proper products of such doctrines and this he clears and assures the truth and reasonableness of by an excellent and well known comparison and indeed it holds true both ways men do not gather Grapes from Thorns nor Figs from Thistles nor do Vines yield the Berries of Thorns nor doth the Doune of Thistles grow upon Fig-trees For though it be possible and God knows too common too for a man to detain the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 yet the unrighteousness issues from the man not from the truth And though a Heretick may possibly be eminent in some good things yet his heart is to be praised for it not his head i. e. his goodness is not the effect of his Error nor upon any account at all ascribable to it So then if we keep us to our Saviours sense the Rule is true and will never deceive us Those doctrines that design nothing but to make men pure and holy and conscientious and strictly regardful of our Christian duty cannot but issue from the Spirit of Truth and Satan can never be contributive to a doctrine that tends so much to the overthrow of his design and great Interest in the world But whatever doctrines or broachers of them do any way infuse into men or encourage and prompt them to any Impiety any Sin let their shews be never so specious their pretences never so fair yet those Prophets are false Prophets and those doctrines fumes from Hell whose great design it is to corrupt mens manners debauch their lives and keep them from the love and practice of piety This is all that I have to offer from these Two places of the New Testament and truly I think what hath been offered enough to confirm the Collection and to gain the assent of every good Christian to the truth of it CHAP. IV. The old Testament cited also for the proof of this and two great considerations added to give more Evidence to it This the rule to try Prophets by of old and the best Criterion of a true Divine Miracle THE former Chapter having acquainted you with some proofs for this out of the New Testament I shall proceed to add some to them also out of the Old For this is no new thing nor unknown to the Jews in time of old but it was deliver'd to them also as the great Rule to judge by in this case of which I take that place of the Prophet to be clear evidence To the Law and to the Testimony Isaiah 8.20 and if they speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no light in them In the preceding Verses the Prophet is inveighing against and condemning the attending to any extraordinary pretenders to knowledge or revelations such as Wizards and Necromancers and those that consulted familiar Spirits And in this Verse he layeth down a Rule by which to try all revelations and
Omniscient and Active and can never fail either to know what doctrines will best comport with its great design among men or to pursue and reveal those doctrines to men when it hath pitched on them And he that will consider how very subtil a Spirit the Devil is and how unweariedly restless in managing his own designs in the world can neither think him ignorant and unable to pitch upon such doctrines as are conducive to that design nor slow and backward to obtrude the belief of them upon men He that thinks otherwise of the Spirit of truth thinks very unbecomingly of God and as much as in him lies precludes the way to his own welfare and safety and deprives himself of that comfort which would issue from the hearty belief of the Omniscience and Providence and Watchfulness of the Spirit of truth for his good And he that thinks otherwise of the Spirit of Error and looks upon the Devil either as a dull and unactive or a silly and ignorant Spirit is imprudent and injurious to himself in undervaluing that Enemy against whose subtilty and strength his utmost endeavours will be little enough He is called a Lion for his strength and an old Serpent for his subtilty and his restlesness to execute the effects of both render him justly formidable 3. Thirdly the great ends of these two Spirits in the world are only these to make men really and truly holy and to make them really impure and vicious The first is the great design of the Spirit of Truth this latter of the Spirit of Error The first the Spirit of Truth intends as the only way to make men happy The second the Devil mainly intends as the sure way to render them Eternally miserable There needs not much be said on this branch of our Argument the Scriptures are copious in attesting the truth of it on both hands The great work of the Spirit in the O.T. was to strive with man as is intimated by Moses Gen. 6.3 i. e. to withdraw him from sin and to induce him to the love and practice of vertue And the same is the end he is sent for in the New to convince men of the evil of sin of the gain of righteousness and as a means to both to assure them of the certainty of Judgment John 16.18 and for this reason is called the Spirit of holiness often not only because he is essentially and eminently so himself but likewise because his main business is to teach and encourage men to be so too and to assist them in being faithful to those encouragements and teachings And then on the other hand as it assures us that the first sin of man owed it self to the temptation and suggestion of the Devil so it assures us that all his endeavour ever since hath been to heighten that sin and to promote the love and practice of wickedness among men For this reason he is frequently called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one not only upon the account of his own wickedness but for his striving perpetually to propagate that wickedness by drawing men into all the sad instances of it And for the same reason he is called The Enemy and the effects of his Enmity chiefly discover themselves in this the endeavouring to make men wicked like himself and so to bring on them a portion of those torments that are reserved for himself and for all those mad Sons of men that are wicked as he is And whosoever observes his actings as they are recorded in the Scripture or will but consult the stories of his dealing with the Heathen world examine but the doctrines which he taught them and the rites and modes of Religion that he instituted among them will clearly see how all those doctrines tended to sin and how the whole body of the Heathen worship was indeed what the Apostle calls it a mystery of wickedness Now from these things the strength of the argument will discover it self For since all the design of the Spirit of truth is to make men holy to guide them into all truth that it may thereby lead them to all goodness And since the Spirit of error designs directly the contrary And since all the doctrines that issue from these are directed only to these great ends It must needs follow that whatever doctrine tends to holiness must needs issue from the Spirit of Truth And whatever tends to the contrary must needs proceed from the Spirit of Error And that this is a sure and safe way to judge whence they proceed by For these two Spirits will ever be true to their own purposes and interests and will always have an eye to the promoting of them in all the doctrines that they propose to the Faith of men 2. Another Argument may be drawn from the great end and design of Christian Religion For if we suppose the author thereof prudent and wise every doctrine therein will be so contrived as to comport with and promote the great aim of the whole otherwise he would in effect pull down with one hand what he endeavoured to build with the other Now he that will consider and examine this Religion with that seriousness and impartiality that things of this nature may justly expect and challenge from all men will soon find that it is indeed what S. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3.16 a mystery of godliness The Author of it the ever blessed Jesus was indeed the Lamb of God for his spotless innocency as well as other reasons A perfect pattern of all holiness and vertue A divine person whose life was never sullied with the least of those crimes which so horribly stained the lives of the Heathen Deities Whose innocency approved it self so clearly to his very Judge as to extort from him this confession that he was a just person Mat. 27.24 Yea that most Envious and Critical observer as well as Virulent accuser of good men could find nothing whereof to accuse the blessed Jesus The Prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me And if you look into the Religion that he instituted in the world you will soon find how exactly it resembles and bears the lineaments of its holy Author in all the parts of it All its precepts and commands are so many injunctions of all the instances of holiness or prohibitions of the contrary instances of wickedness and vice All its promises are great encouragements to induce men to comply with the purpose of those commands And its threatnings are added only to deter and affright them from all neglect and contempt of the same And should we survey the Articles of its Faith and the doctrines that it proposeth to the belief of men we should soon find how mighty wisely they are all contrived to promote the same great end Even those that seem mostly speculative and irrelative to duty yet upon a closer view will be found to be excellently conducive to it For
observed carefully by us in this matter 1. That in our judging by this Rule we consider the doctrines only and not the men that profess and maintain them 2. That we consider doctrines not only in themselves and specious appearance but in their natural and direct consequences 3. That we be sincere and unprejudiced in considering and do not allow our selves to pervert or wrest them 4. That doctrines or modes of Religion be not considered only in some single instances but complexly and fully 5. That men have a right notion of holiness and consider duly both in what things it doth consist and all those things too 6. That holiness be considered not only in its immediate exercise but together with all the helps advantages and encouragements to it These are Rules enough to be observed by us in this matter and I cannot easily foresee any great inconveniences that we shall be pressed with or incident unto if we keep us close and attend carefully to them 1. The first is that in our judging of things by this Rule we consider only the doctrines themselves and not the men that make profession of them for otherwise we shall be greatly intangled and perplexed in our thoughts and in great danger of pronouncing wrong judgment we may acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent we may be ensnared to embrace the worst and to cast off the best and truest doctrines There are few things more common than to see Hereticks and venters of strange and pernicious Doctrines to behave themselves with the greatest seeming strictness and caution of any men Our Saviour therefore represents them as wearing sheeps cloathing Matth. 7.15 the shew of a mighty innocence and putting on the disguise of all possible sanctity And S. Paul informs us of much-what the same thing when he lays down among their other characters this of having a form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 And the truth is they were very imprudent and silly if they should appear otherwise this is the surest way they can possibly take to gain esteem to themselves and reputation to the doctrines they would proselyte men into a belief of well knowing that error in its native dress and true colours would never be entertain'd by men and therefore it is carefully apparell'd in a false and specious garb by which it steals mens affections and cheats them into a love and esteem of it And as designing men cloath their doctrines so commonly they do themselves for the first great business of a Seducer is to gain a reputation of being holy and good which when it is once gotten will easily insinuate and make way for his doctrine for men easily believe and follow such men and do not fear Imposture from those that they esteem holy and good And on the other hand it is often too often God knows seen that men detain the truth in unrighteousness believe well and Orthodoxly and yet are false to their own faith and treacherous to their avowed principles and never live consonantly to either And by this means greatly reproach and scandalize their own most holy profession as the impure Gnosticks did Christianity at the first And if the faith of such men were to be measured by their lives and the effects it hath on them they were doubtless the greatest Hereticks in all the world This is a suggestion which as it reflects a great deal of reproach and shame upon such men so it bespeaks the great heed and care of others that they be not hasty presently to judge mens Religion only by their actions For many men wear paints and disguises to conceal a rotten faith and too many are careless and foolish and unmindful of adorning a true one It were easie to cite the best Antiquity to vouch the reasonableness and prudence of practising this Rule For therefore the primitive Fathers of the Church when the seeming Sanctity of Heathens and Hereticks was objected to them did strongly endeavour to expose their doctrines and to shew that such things were not really the effects of them but fucus's and paints on purpose to give reputation to them And when on the other hand they were pressed with the profane lives of some of their own way they presently appealed to the principles of their Religion and throughly vindicated them from any way influencing or inclining men to such evil things And having done so proceeded to disclaim these men as false Brethren and no true Catholicks and therefore pleaded it an unjust thing to argue against Christians from the impure lives of some that professed but begged it as a reasonable thing that they would allow them the same favour which they themselves challenged in the like case viz. that the failings of some pretended Christians might no more be objected against the divinity and truth of that Religion than the vices of some Philosophers were thought meet to disparage the credit and truth of all Philosophy 2. The second Rule is that we consider doctrines not only in themselves and specious appearances but in those consequences that naturally and directly issue from them For it is not more true of men than of doctrines sometimes that they put on a very specious and fair outside and in their present appearance seem mighty innocent which yet if a man closely inspect and search into he will soon find to be very poisonous and destructive in the consequences of them This is always in some measure true of all Errors and Heresies that are one way or other they are pernicious in their intendments and if they be pursued to their just consequences certainly destructive Let me give you one specimen of this instead of many I would fain know what seems more innocent and of better effect than that all men should attend to that measure of light that is in their own breasts Hearken carefully to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some Ancients called a mans Conscience that good Genius in a man 's own Bosom And doubtless it were good men did this and if they did so they would act much better than many do But yet who sees not the danger that lurks under this fair pretence and what horrid consequences flow from it when driven to its true purpose How it wholly evacuates the satisfaction of Christ and all necessity of a Saviour Decries all need of Divine assistance and Grace Renders wholly useless the Divine Inspirations Makes every man his own infallible Oracle and Teacher Exposeth a man to the deceptions of that subtil and watchful Spirit and finally opens a way for every man to do that which is right in his own eyes It were as easie to instance in some other doctrines of this mad Sect and all others among us at this day and shew how even the most innocent of them I mean in which they differ from the Church to be deadly and mighty mischievous when pursued and driven home to their proper consequences and perhaps Sir that may be
done if you require it hereafter In the mean time this will render it mighty necessary and wise not to consider erroneous doctrines only in their fair appearances but to examine carefully what the consequences and effects of them are And so on the other side likewise there are many doctrines in the Christian Religion Orthodox and Divine that perhaps at first sight may appear very irrelative to practice or at least of no great moment to the purposes of life Yea which to some men may appear unreasonable and purely speculative which yet when a man hath examined closely and consider well of may be found very important and greatly concerning and very conducive to many real purposes of goodness And it will not be easie to instance in any which I cannot shew to be conducive to some great instances of holiness and whose truth and divinity I dare not undertake to make good by the same 3. The third Rule is that we be sincere and honest in our considering doctrines before we bring them to this standard I mean that we bring with us no other design in the world but really to know what such doctrines are and tend unto For if any other thing be had in aim any other design or prejudice be permitted to mingle with our searches into these things there is no doubt but we shall deflect and warp from the truth in judgment A very little skill if there be not a great deal of honesty will enable a man to expose any doctrine and those men that can so easily wrest the holy Scriptures doubtless can as easily pervert any doctrine though never so holy Facile est invenire baculum said the old adage and it holds true both ways he that comes either with a prejudice against or a prepossession for any doctrine will easily find faults against the one though never so rationally and something to justifie his kindness to the other though never so weakly asserted And when men will permit interest or passion or humour or prejudice or any such thing to sit upon the Tribunal and have a hand in judging doctrines it is not to be expected that they should be judged according to the real merits and truth of them A gift saith Solomon blindeth the eye Eccles 7.7 or destroyeth the heart and a receiver of them is seldom upright And it is equally true of any other by-respect or sinister inclination Nothing but a fixed resolution and purpose to be honest and just and truly to inform our selves can enable us to be true to our discoveries and pronounce aright concerning doctrines in this case It was no very unreasonable project in the Platonists of old to institute some previous purgations of mind to be submitted unto by those that were in quest of truth well knowing that till the mind of man was unprejudiced and free it was not capable of Divine irradiations nor in a capacity to understand truth And upon the same reason Aristotle prohibited young men the study of Moral Philosophy till they had in some competent measure subdued the vigour and tamed the hurry of their animal passions and sensual inclinations And it were very well if men would do something like this free themselves from all manner of partial anticipations when they are going to consider and judge for their Souls And let me add Sir there was never any age wherein the observation of this Rule was more necessary never a time certainly wherein the effects of partiality and prejudice more discovered themselves to the warping of mens judgments and clapping false biasses upon them so that they either cannot or will not impartially and truly weigh things or deal with any degree of candor by them wherein unjustly to pervert and misrepresent Books is to answer them and the fastening on them a design which the Author never thought of a sufficient confutation of them When men read Books on purpose to misunderstand and traduce them and think the most effectual way to baffle and defeat them is to buffoon and turn them into Ridicule Let me give you a few specimens of this though I doubt not you have already observed them your self Can you think we should ever have heard of a Rehearsal Transprosed or an Ill Play thought a good answer to a serious Book had not this perverse humour possessed some men that were proud of their great wits and too fanciful to be able truly to consider things Could any honest-hearted man that sincerely read over an excellent Book called The Design of Christianity ever have traduced it as a plain undermining the purpose of the Gospel Had we ever heard of an Antisozzo or a Melius Inquirendum if that Author had had as much honesty as he thinks he hath wit or considered the doctrines in those Books he would expose with half as much integrity as he hath taken pains unworthily to misrepresent them Can you imagine Satan would ever have been brought upon the stage complementing Sherlock if the Devil had not mightily assisted one Danson to misunderstand and pervert the design of that Book Could that perfidious doating Exil'd Frenchman have ever espied and reported such advances of the Church of England to Popery had not himself made greater advances first towards Frenzy or Knavery Or the late furious Collector of the Invidious Parallels made such a clamor with them and seek so basely to disturb the Ashes and deface the Monuments of those that rest in honour but that something made a noise in his own head and hindred him from hearing or attending to the checks of his own Conscience for such a piece of injustice I pray God Sir deliver you and me and bless us from falling into the hands of such men who read Books on purpose to misunderstand them and consider doctrines only to expose them who react the cruelty and injustice of Ancient Persecutors that cloathed the poor Christians in skins of Beasts and then glutted their malice and envy in worrying of them And deal with Books as Procrustes did with men rack them till they come up to their own humour or cut them in pieces for not doing so Who first tincture their own eye and then apprehend every thing to be of the same colour or having their own palates vitiated reproach as unsavoury and bitter every thing that comports not with the ill affections of it If it be my hard fate to fall into the hands of such men and be treated by them as some of my Brethren have been I will yet have this to comfort and support me that it is not truth or honesty but spleen and malice only that persecute me I should be concerned indeed should I offend the first but if men acted by the other speak evil of me I know who hath bade me rejoyce and be glad CHAP. IX The Fourth Fifth and Sixth Rules are mentioned and insisted on 4. THE fourth Rule is that doctrines and Modes of Religion formed by them be not considered only
PIETY THE Best Rule OF ORTHODOXY OR An Essay upon this Proposition That the Conduciveness of Doctrines to Holiness or Vice is the best Rule for private Christians to judge the Truth or Falshood of them by In a Letter to his Honoured Friend H. M. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alexand. By Hen. Hesketh Vicar of S. Hellens and Chaplain to his Majesty LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in S. Paul's Church-yard 1680. THE CONTENTS THE Introduction CHAP. I. The great need of every Christians taking heed of Error The difficulty in our present circumstances of doing so The greatness of that charity that endeavours to assist men in order thereto The pitching upon a rule whereby every man may do this from that place of S. John 1 John 4.6 CHAP. II. The Collection drawn from the preceeding Text That Piety is the best rule of Orthodoxy The sence in which the proposition is to be understood Two Postulata's in order to the proof of it God hath provided such a rule for men to judge by and the reasons urging a belief that he hath done so This rule must be for the benefit and guidance of all men CHAP. III. Two ways proposed for the proof of the Assertion Scripture and Reason This Text improved largely to this purpose and Mat. 7.16 of which a full explication is endeavoured CHAP. IV. The old Testament cited also for the proof of this and two great considerations added to give more Evidence to it This the rule to try Prophets by of old and the best Criterion of a true Divine Miracle CHAP. V. A further discourse of Miracles and their Evidence and how to know which are Divine and which are not An addition to all from the Nature of Heresie and wherein the Notion of it doth consist CHAP. VI. The Arguments from reason for the proof of the Collection Four proposed and Two insisted on in this Chapter The first taken from the end of these Two Spirits in the World The second from the great design of Christian Religion CHAP. VII The third and fourth Arguments proposed The Inconvenience of substituting any other rule but this and the manifest advantage of this above any that can be substituted CHAP. VIII Six rules laid down to be observed by us in our judging by this rule and three of them insisted on 1. That we consider the Doctrines only and not the men that maintain them 2. That we consider Doctrines not only in themselves and appearances but also in their natural and direct consequences 3. That we be sincere and unprejudiced in considering and do not allow our selves to pervert and wrest them CHAP. IX The other three rules insisted on 1. That doctrines and modes of Religion formed by them be not considered only in some single instances but complexly and fully in all especially those in which they differ from others 2. That men have a right notion of holiness 3. That holiness be considered not only in its immediate exercise but also with all the helps advantages and encouragements to it CHAP. X. Some Inferences made from this Collection particularly a Vindication of the Church of England which may justly challenge any Sect at this day to joyn issue with it upon this Principle The Conclusion THE INTRODUCTION Dear Sir AMongst those very many Sweet and Gustful Relishes that the Sense of your Friendship leaves upon my Spirits The fresh discoveries that I every day make of your real worth and Goodness is truly the greatest And certainly that man oweth much to Providence and his recognitions to it can hardly equal the Blessing that hath the good hap to contract Intimacies and Friendships of which he finds no reasons afterwards to repent and be ashamed and to which he needs not study to put any Interruptions And this is the case of every man who hath a worthy man and a good man to his Friend and it is at present mine Sir I do not intend to flatter you in this I know that would be the surest way to make my self more unworthy of such a felicity than I am Nor do I intend to take the measures of your worth from any things but such as are certain and will assure such deductions I do not proclaim you worthy and Good because you are rich and kind and affable and courteous and studious as becomes a Philosopher But I do this because you are concern'd for Religion and are tender of mens Eternal Interests and have a dear respect to Souls and would have all men partake of those felicities of which your great Piety procures you many blessed Antepasts now and perseverance in that piety will assure your full and perfect fruition afterwards And truly Sir these are things which in every age have reflected honour upon men but will much more do so in this For a Gentleman to retain any sense of Religion now when unconcernedness for it is so much the mode and scoffing at every thing that is Sacred so much the common entertainment and so hugely gratifying to the Genius of the Age. To be solicitous for humane Souls when so many are ready to question whether they have any or no and of those that profess to believe they have yet so very few are pleased to have any regards for their welfare To be studying and contriving helps and advantages for them in their progress to Heaven when the disbelief of any future state hath so much obtained and when it is counted wit and a specimen of parts to buffoon and droll all thoughts of it out of the breasts of men To do all these things with sincerity and zeal which perhaps will meet with no better entertainment than derision or scorn is certainly an evidence of a great and fixed goodness and renders you little less worthy of that praise which the Spirit of God was pleased to give Job for being perfect at Luz and Lot for retaining his purity in Sodom I shall not so far trespass upon your Humility and Modesty as to mention all the Instances in which these things discover themselves This that your present commands for so I always interpret a Friends desires require of me is alone enough It is to give you my thoughts what I judge to be the best Criterion of truth and by what marks a man might most certainly discover it in this mist and great dust that the eager Contentions and tumultuous disputings of men have raised about it and obscured it in And by what methods a private Christian should proceed in this amazing diversity of Opinions and from whence take his measures of truth and safety This is if I mistake not much an act of such kindness that it is not easie for you to shew or men to receive a greater and if I can do any service towards reallizing the effects of it I do not well know many instances in which I may more safely rejoyce And truly as for that reason I do the more willingly
is well when they do and in many cases mighty prudent to seek the Law at his mouth consult him often in our doubts and difficulties and not be too peremptory in our own conclusions But yet I think no man can with reason believe that God ever intended these to be the only Oracles to which every Christian should repair and content himself with the responses of I think I could urge inconveniences against this which the whole Conclave would be something puzled to solve As God hath endued every man with a Soul and that Soul with an understanding and that understanding with power of judging and discerning things that differ and commanded every man to be faithful to this Talent and diligent in improving and encreasing his stock of light that thereby he may be able to take the better heed he be not deceived So doubtless he hath substituted a way by which every man may do this and hath not intended the benefit of it to be confined only to some few particular persons It hath been long since objected and designed to reproach the holy Scriptures that they are very plain and content themselves with familiar representations of things accommodated to vulgar capacities and not fit to satisfie the enquiries and exercise the curiosity of deep speculators and subtil Philosophers And the truth of the objection hath been willingly granted as to the main and yet the honour and excellency of them for that reason vindicated and Gods goodness thereupon magnified and exalted who foreseeing that the greatest part of his followers would not be great Clerks and deep Scholars but illiterate and plain men hath mercifully consulted their weakness and complied with it and provided for it And he that considers that God values the Soul of one man equally with anothers and desires equally the Salvation of all will presently conclude that therefore he hath consulted the benefit of all men and not set up a rule to judge truth by which should be mighty obscure and intricate and very few only some learned men should be able to reap benefit from Thus much therefore we have gained from this Text both that God hath left us a way by which to know Truth from Error and that this is such a way as all men may improve and make use of to the same end CHAP. III. Two ways propounded for the proof of the Assertion Scripture and Reason This Text improved largely to this purpose and Matth. 7.16 of which a full Explication is endeavoured HAving thus prepared the way to the proof of the forenamed Assertion in the preceeding Chapter I shall now address directly to it in this And two ways I shall endeavour to give strength to the truth of it by 1. By Scripture 2. By Reason and Argument warranted by Scripture 1. I begin with the confirmation of this from holy Scripture which indeed is the chiefest way of proving this truth and before all other things fit to determine this controversie For since we have reason with all due humility and gratitude to acknowledge this to be a full sufficient and perfect revelation of the will of God to man in which all necessary directions to happiness are contained and whatever else is needful to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.17 as S. Paul warrants us to believe So if God have provided such a way for men to judge Truth and Error by he hath doubtless given some intimation of it in these Divine Inspirations and Records Now what these speak of this matter I shall endeavour to acquaint you And first as from this place of S. John I have taken occasion to raise 1 John 4.6 so I shall now try what there is in it to confirm the Assertion Which that I may distinctly and clearly do I must desire you to read the precedent verses and consider what the Apostle is designing in them And that you will easily find to be this an endeavour to confirm those he writes to in the true faith of Christ that they might not be drawn from it by any pretences and particularly by those great pretences to the Spirit that were then so common amongst all seducers especially the Gnosticks as indeed it hath been ordinary ever since almost amongst all Hereticks that have infested the Church This caution of not believing all these pretences he expresly mentions verse 1. and by an excellent Argument enforceth because there are many false Prophets are gone out into the world Now in order to this trial and discovery of the Spirits and the Doctrines issuing from them he layeth down these three chief rules in the following discourse The first whereof is the free confessing of Jesus Christ and faith in him in times of persecution the lawfulness and prudence of denying of whom when trouble and danger threatned a man for so doing was one of the great doctrines of the Gnosticks This he treats of verse 2 3. and then subjoyns a commendation of these Christians and congratulates with them that they had avoided the infection of these false teachers shewing withal what had assisted them to do so and why they should persist in their care against them verse 4 5. The second rule is laid down in this Text the intendment of which I shall presently acquaint you more fully with But because this is general he instanceth thirdly in a particular of Christian purity and obedience viz. true charity to our Brethren which he insists on in the following part of the Chapter I am not concern'd to insist upon either the first or third rule so as largely to explain them but chiefly upon the second for the ensuring of which there needs but only the right understanding of the word Hear He that is of God heareth us And that by this expression is intended obeying cannot seem strange to any that will remember that it is the common word by which obedience is generally expressed in the Sacred Idiom The places in which it is thus used are too many to be named and the commonness of the phrase too great to need it So that by hearing us is meant obeying our doctrine which is of God as he speaks i. e. pure and holy like its blessed Author hath nothing of worldly greatness or secular interest and design in it but only of piety and purity and self-denial and contempt of the world c. and this is an argument of its being truly Divine and a Rule by which also to judge whatever doctrine is so or the contrary That doctrine that is truly of God is all for holiness and obedience and purity while the other is for worldly advantages and suited to common Interests and hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error in all instances of doctrines i. e. all doctrines that are conducive to real holiness are of God proceed from the Spirit of Truth and every doctrine that inclines to the contrary doth certainly
as he doth in another viz. verse the 24. of the same Chapter For their not believing the unparalell'd Miracles which he did among them which certainly he would never have done but that the Evidences and Convictions of truth were equal in both 3. But then thirdly I add that every Miracle is not an unquestionable Evidence of truth nor a sufficient warrant for men presently to believe upon its sole account All the world I think is agreed about this also For all men unanimously believe that only true and really Divine Miracles are sufficient to assure the credibility of things And all Miracles are not so for there are lying wonders as well as true and it is not safe to believe equally in both cases 4. And therefore fourthly there is an absolute necessity that a man be assured the Miracle is truly Divine before he can safely believe upon the authority thereof otherwise he may believe the lying wonder as well as the other and believe what Jannes and Jambres say as well as Moses 5. It is so very difficult that it is almost next to impossible by any thing immediately in the Miracles themselves to know which is truly Divine and which is not so I say in the Miracles themselves I mean they do not carry such signatures upon them that a man by them only can easily make a judgment 1. I have no reason to doubt but that evil Spirits by God's permission may effect things that are truly miraculous or if you require it plainly true Miracles For my part I do not see any reason why the same things done by the forenamed Sorcerers were not as true Miracles as when done by Moses and it will be hard for any man to shew a difference If the turning a Rod into a Serpent was a Miracle they did it as well as Moses If converting water into bloud was a Miracle it was so when done by them as well as when done by Moses and though it be true that Moses did some Miracles which they could not yet that relieves us little for though they did not all Miracles which he did yet they did some So that still they wrought true Miracles as well as Moses 2. Nor secondly shall men be relieved by saying some are lying wonders and some are true For it is probable those wonders are called lying wonders not because they were not really wonders or Miracles for the word signifieth equally both but because they were designed to attest an untruth a lie For so the Greek seems especially to mean 2 Thess 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miracles or wonders of falshood as our own Translators put it in the Margent and so the learned Grotius expounds it and justifies the Exposition by a known truth Nam quod vice genitivi est apud Hebreos saepe finem significat where you have a Learned discourse to the purpose I am now upon And Beza also expounds it to the same pupose too Mendacii stabiliendi causâ edita Wonders wrought on purpose to confirm a lie 3. Nor thirdly will it any more help us to grant that some are lying wonders in the other sence unless we could certainly tell which were so Whether the wonder be real or no it is all one to me unless I be able to distinguish betwixt them Suppose those of the Egyptian Sorcerers or Simon Magus or Apollonius Tyaneus whom the Heathens set up to vye with Christ I say suppose these were not real Miracles but prestigious and delusive yet how shall any man know and make it appear they were so they are as Convictive as true ones unless they could be plainly discovered not to be so and how to do this from any thing in the things themselves I profess my self wholly ignorant 4. For fourthly I shall receive little satisfaction by what is commonly said in this case that 's a true Miracle which can only be effected by a Divine power for suppose that were granted true yet how shall I know what can only be effected so and what not No man knows the limits of Satan's power nor can say hitherto can he go and no further unless he can tell more than ever man yet did nay perhaps no man can exactly tell the utmost reach of natural power or define precisely how far natural causes when rightly applied can work And if he know not this he knows little in order to satisfaction in this matter 5. Nor truly is there much more relief in flying to the evident greatness of Miracles though I gladly confess there is something in it and it ought to be adored as a signal act of Divine Providence that Moses and especially Christ herein have the eminency above any other pretenders to Miracles in the world for Moses his Rod swallowed up the Magician's Rods and Apollonius could not heal all diseases as Christ did c. But still this is short of fully relieving us for perhaps some things may seem greater Miracles to us which are not so indeed And subtil wits would say many things to make it seem at least that all Miracles are equally great And suppose it to be so that many people might see some of these Miracles only and not the other As suppose the Samaritans that saw the Miracles of Simon Magus did not see those of Christ or the Apostles nor those that saw the wonders of Apollonius to have heard of the other I ask now what they should do in this case If a Miracle be a good ground of truth then they had that warrant to believe as grand falshoods as ever were in the world But further yet if you look into the Gospel you shall find Christ telling his Apostles Mat. 24.24 that the false Christs that should arise after him should shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great signs and wonders and so great as to deceive the very Elect were they not mightily assisted to avoid that deception 6. From all which I collect that a bare Miracle is not enough to assure the truth and warrant the belief of every Doctrine attested by it for then the doctrine of Apollonius and Simon Magus had the same credibility as that of Christ Rev. 13.14 And if you look into the Revelations of S. John you shall find mention of a Beast which deceived men by Miracles which he had power to do And in another * Rev. 16.14 place we read of the Spirits of Devils going forth to work Miracles and ‖ Cap. 19.20 again of a false Prophet that wrought Miracles If Miracles therefore warrant Faith of every Doctrine then they do also warrant that of the Devil and his Spirits which God forbid 7. Upon the strength of all which Considerations I say that Miracles themselves need something to attest them and shew men when they are to believe them and when not to do so and I mistake much if what hath been said do not make this apparent 8. And therefore lastly to bring all to a final
issue I do not know any thing so certain a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the divinity of a Miracle as the end and effects of it If the doctrine that it is wrought to attest be plainly pure and holy a mystery indeed of Godliness and the effects that it produceth in men be answerable i. e. the bringing them off from Idolatry and wickedness to live religious and holy lives And upon these Two accounts especially we shall find Origen and most of the first Apologists proving the Divinity of our Saviours Miracles and arguing the Miracles boasted by the Heathen to be Hellish and Diabolical because they were all done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Origen speaks to the deceivableness of unrighteousness and to draw men into Idolatry and all manner of filthiness And truly for my own part I do not know upon what any man can safely rest in this matter but upon this The design and effect of Miracles is the best Index of them Where a doctrine upon due search is truly divine and holy and contrived to no other end but to make all men so and Miracles wrought by the promulgers of it to attest the Divinity of their Doctrine and Mission there is doubtless all the most unquestionable evidence of truth that even God himself is able to give So that the holiness of a Doctrine proves the Divinity of the Miracle as well as the Divinity of the Miracle attests the truth of the Doctrine And this is founded upon this most certain reason that the Devil is a hater of goodness and therefore will never effect any thing to encourage or promote it amongst men All his Interest lieth another way and his kingdom is supported by sin and wickedness But God is a lover of holiness it is his own very Life and Image and as all his works of Providence are intended for the good of Souls so all his works of wonder especially are designed to make men holy and therefore shall never attest any doctrine but what conduceth to that great purpose I have now Sir no more to add on this great subject but only to shew you that I am not singular in this Notion if you will please to be at the trouble of reading any the large discourses of the Jewish Rabbies on this subject you shall find this to be the only solid thing to be safely relied upon and indeed that upon which they are forced at last to rely chiefly upon But I shall mention to you two authorities which I am apt to think will signifie as much with you as the whole Sanhedrim The Learned Grotius and the little less Learned Doctor Stillingfleet if you read the Notes of the first upon 2 Thess 2.9 you will find his opinion to be exactly consonant to what I have been proposing And if you 'l please to remember what I know you have read the Ninth and Tenth Chapters of the Dean's Origines Sacrae in the latter of which he saith as much to distinguish true Divine Miracles from false as I think the matter can possibly bear you will find that though he lay down other marks and certainly say as much upon them as rationally can be said yet truly there 's but little to fix contentedly and with satisfaction upon in any other but these Two viz. the nature and design of the Doctrine they do attest and the effects they produce in the minds of men And now Sir before I put a period to this Chapter I shall and I do not well know where better add another Consideration of some moment to strengthen our present Assertion And that is from the consideration of the true notion of Heresie For if the great Rule to judge this thing by be holiness also then I think it will be another good addition to our present Argument I consider then that as Heresie is marked in holy Scripture as a very great sin and as severely characterized as any other sin whatsoever so the chief reason why it is so is because it is in some measure or other a recession from the holiness and from that faith that is the foundation and support of it For therefore are Hereticks called men of corrupt minds Reprobates conconcerning the faith Enemies to God and Antichrists all which characters do denote not their Error so much in matters of Faith as in practice and imply their secessions chiefly from the rules of holiness And the truth is according to the sense of the best Antiquity men do so far depart from the faith as they do from holiness and they are Hereticks not for that but especially for this I do very well know how much men are alter'd now in their conceits about Heresie from what they were of old And the multiplying Articles of faith and adopting Explications of them into the Creeds is too clear an evidence of it some men making these things advantages upon which to condemn for Heresie presently whatever in any thing differs from them But Sir these things move me very little unless it be to lament and commiserate the uncharitableness of men in this matter He that would have a right notion of Heresie must search what the Apostles and Apostolick Ages called by that name and not presently reproach as Heresie every thing that differs from him And whoever will do so will find that Heresie is Heresie because it is a work of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wicked opinion and an ungodly doctrine an error in materiâ practicâ in practice not in opinion only something that was amiss in genere morum For Faith is called by S. Paul 1 Tim. 6.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a doctrine according to Godliness and those that are Hereticks are called unjust unclean uncharitable perjured persons and for that reason are said to oppose sound doctrine And that this only is the true notion of Heresie may be made further to appear from these Two primitive and Scriptural observations 1. The considering those persons and doctrines that were branded with that ill character by the Apostles 2. Their carriage towards the Jewish Converts in the great matter of Circumcision and the Law of Ceremonies 1. Of the First you will find in the Apostles times but a very few nor in the Age immediately succeeding Some tell us not above seven and every one of them Hereticks for this reason because they taught practical Impieties or denied such Articles in the Creed upon which the necessity of holiness was founded Simon Magus taught monstrous things of the Holy Ghost and blasphemous things of himself Ebion and Cerinthus denied the Divinity of Christ enjoyned the observation of the Mosaick Law and allowed uncleanness and had impious Theorems about lust And the same is as true of Menander Basilides Carpocrates c. whose opinions were therefore judg'd Heretical not so much because they were real untruths as because they were open defiances to all Faith Sobriety and Sanctity 2. If you consider the Apostles carriage
upon Earth And though a man may be mighty ready to be concluded by it and in most doubts suffer that scale in which the Churches judgment lies to preponderate and to over-rule all his lesser scruples yet till he be assured of its infallibility he cannot absolutely commit his faith to the conduct of it nor unquestionably permit it in every thing to determine for him 2. That then there might safely be as many different Creeds as there are differing Churches upon the Earth and then there need not be so much disputing about a true Church nor hunting after marks of it since the faith of every man 's own Church would certainly save him which I take to be a doctrine too bold for any man to believe that exerciseth his reason to any measures at all I cannot easily remember any thing besides these that can be substituted as a Rule in this matter but if I could I do not at all doubt but that it would appear liable to as many or more difficulties than any of these And I cannot but think these great inconveniences that all and every one of these forenamed are incumbred withal are a sufficient reason upon which to reject them from being Rules in this case especially 4. If we compare this that I am contending for and consider the evident advantages that it hath above them and the less difficulties that it is pressed withal I have partly hinted before that there are these two things greatly needful in such a Rule facility and safety that it be both easie and safe to judge by and I think it a fair offer the Rule that bids fairest in these two let it be accepted I shall therefore a while consider it more absolutely in it self in point both of easiness and safety and secondly compare it a little with these that have been named and intimate something of the advantage and preference that it claims before them 1. It is a Rule that is truly capable of both these characters For first it is easie to judge by for few men but of common either knowledge or honesty can mistake in judging what is holy and what is not seeing the knowledge of these things is in a great measure imprinted on our very natures and grows up with us We need not go and consult Oracles nor say who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch us a resolution from thence Deut. 30.14 Rom. 10.6 7 8. for as Moses and S. Paul both say the Word is nigh us even in our own hearts there the great lines of duty are written legibly and plainly and an honest though meanly instructed mind will quickly attain the knowledge of them So that a Heathen might and some actually have judged pretty rightly in this instance For as these give evidence of a Law written in their hearts Rom. 2.15 as the Apostle tells us they do so many of them that have attended closely to this connate light have by it alone attained almost to an exact knowledge in these things and passed a right sentence upon all Opinions and Doctrines that did not consent with the same But supposing a man in the profession of Christianity and under the advantage of the written Law and Revelations of God we set him in infinitely greater advantages forasmuch as all things of necessary duty are so clearly revealed and made known therein that it is not very easie to be ignorant of or not to understand them And secondly it is as safe to judge by it as it is easie to do so For first if a judgment be truly made by it it is infallibly certain and any doctrine that truly tends to the promoting holiness is as undoubtedly Christian and Divine and true as if God had written it with his own hand And every doctrine that truly promotes and encourageth the practice of vice is as certainly false and diabolical as if we saw it proceed out of the mouth of the old Dragon And secondly if a man should chance to erre while he really and truly judgeth for this I think it may safely be said that error is not damnable It is an error on the safer side a mistake on the better hand A judging for God and his interest where the will is honest and innocent and good and where that is so I do not know how to call any thing a sin This I take to be certain an honest heart using its sincere and true endeavour and intending really to embrace and follow that which best teacheth its duty and engageth to it is certainly safe God's good Providence and Grace will superintend and assist such a man that he shall either not fall into any error at all or at least not into any damnable one God's Spirit will lead him into all truth that is really needful for him to know 2. Should we now make a comparison between this and the others upon these two things we should presently see to which the advantage would incline Some of them are not safe to judge by and some not easie to do so and some again neither of the two as would easily be made appear should we again review and distinctly consider them which because I have not leisure or a mind to do my self I shall beg and trust you or any other to do for me I am sure he will find all those clogged with some inconveniences from which this is either wholly or in a great measure free which I take to be a good reason upon which to give it the preference above them Not but that I can easily foresee that this Rule also may be pressed with some difficulties and could we lay down a Rule which were not we should then anticipate our future state and contrive a way to secure man from all possibility of error which in this imperfect state is a thing rather to be wished than hoped for We must therefore in this make as good a shift as we can and chuse that as the safest which least subjects us unto error or at least to the fewest which because this doth I therefore propose it as the best thing to be attended to in this case And only further add that whatever mistakes we may be subject to in judging by this we may in a great measure secure our selves from by attending to those directions for the management of this judgment that the next Chapter will make known to us CHAP. VIII Six rules laid down to be observed by us in our judging by this rule and three of these insisted upon THE judging of all doctrines being somewhat a difficult thing and no Rule to judge by being so mighty plain but that men may be incident unto error in their applications of it as the former Chapter intimated it will be needful to contrive against that error as well as we can and to preserve from all misapplying this Rule as much as may be In order to which there are these six things which I shall prescribe to be
all mortal Errors as by attending to this And if the disputing men of the Age proceeded by this measure and studied as much to expose the wickedness as to display the falshood of Opinions their labour would be less and their success more Men may sooner discern good from evil than true from false A little measure of knowledge and honesty will enable men to do the first but it requires a quick judgment sometimes to do the second for falshood wears the mantle of truth and many times it is no easie thing to discover the Impostor And supposing men honest they are more effectually convinced by the wickedness of an Opinion than by any arguments of its untruth For they do not know but men may impose upon them in these but they can judge themselves in the other And I should think these two things were enough to recommend this way of determining controversies to the Scribes and the Disputers of this world Since it would reduce the controversies to a narrow compass and men would more effectually be concluded by a solid determination upon that issue and consequently by this means they would sooner be ended 1. For first there are few people so impudent and past shame as to plead openly for Baal and contend for doctrines that every one sees to be introductive of wickedness Impostors generally take another course and gild their Pills and wrap their poisons in sweet and gay appearances and let the Opinions they would promote be never so pernicious yet they are always managed with mighty pretences of zeal and piety and by this they hope to prevail more than by all their subtil Arguments and fine Disputings and indeed they do so and simple honest people are easily entrapped by them who have not time or skill or both to search into the bottom of all their doctrines So that to encounter with them upon this were to rob them of that in which their strength mostly lieth it were to suit the Antidote to the Poison and to disarm Heresie of that weapon by which it doth the most mischief it were to uncase the Wolf and shew what really he is which would more affect men with horror and hatred of him than ten thousand fine discourses about him would be able to do 2. For secondly blessed be God men especially that pretend Religion are not so far debauched but that they retain a veneration for piety and goodness and a secret abhorrence of sin and profaneness Many that live in the one yet condemn themselves in it and most men though far from being good themselves yet have a secret esteem and love for those that are And therefore when Errors are truly discovered and the impiety of them made known then the Net is spread in the sight of the Bird and men are arm'd against the fine pleas and the enchanting pretences for them and are hardly proselyted into a belief of them 3. And thirdly when the disputes are brought to this issue and the contest is upon it and nothing left to determine but which doctrine tends to make men holy and which doth not so then the judgment and the determination is more easily made For as I hinted before the lines of duty are plain and not so subject to those varieties of mistakes that other things are Almost all practical things are plain and easily understood unless it be in some rare cases And for the most part disputes and questions about them do more perplex and intangle than they do unfold and explain them About these every honest man is in a good measure able to instruct himself supposing him to have any competent knowledge and better able to judge than he is of questions that are curiously managed with great skill and art on both sides 4. And fourthly for Controversies and Disputes that no way concerned holiness or related to it men would soon perceive them to be impertinent and needless and the pursuing of them to minister only to Faction and Vanity and so would concern themselves neither one way or other about them but let them fall to the ground with as little notice taken of them as there was reason to start them 2. But the great design of these Papers and therefore the chief Inference I intend from this Subject is for the Vindication of the Church of England and of the Reformed Religion professed by it To this Rule it may most safely appeal and not fear to be tried by it And as Bishop Sanderson saith The God that answereth by Fire let him be God If amongst all competitions and contending Sects among us there be any to be found that doth exceed or equal her for conformity to this Rule they shall readily have the right hand of fellowship and due precedence yielded to them And I challenge any of them all to joyn issue with her upon this principle And certainly this is a very fair offer since all the Separations amongst us have been commenced upon this pretence They have first separated from her and then from each other upon pretences of impurity in her Communion and in quest of greater purity still If a man therefore offer to make good these two things 1. That there is no reason at all for Separation upon this account nor just cause to object unholiness and impurity against her Let her Articles and Homilies be examin'd her Liturgy as closely considered as may be and if there be any thing in either contrary to holiness then condemn her and spare not she will I am sure acknowledge her error and patiently endure a reproof for it But I defie any man living to do this provided he exercise but any measure of charity and honesty in expounding things and do not imitate the severity of that Heathen Momus who rather than find no fault in the Picture of Venus would quarrel with her slip-shooe and whose Motto in hunting for faults is Aut inveniam aut faciam 2. That all and every of those ways and forms of Religion that these men have deflected unto are much inferior to her in this matter and may clearly be detected to be false by this Rule since every one of them espouseth doctrines which either immediately or in their just consequences are introductive of wickedness and contrary to holiness in some instance or other He I say that offers to make good both these things as he will do a good service to the Church so he will do that which may justly shame and reproach the several contending Factions that have so unjustly and unreasonably separated from her Now these are truths which no man need fear undertaking to make good and perhaps a specimen of them may ere long appear In the mean time I think it mine own and intimate it as the duty of others too to bless God and give him our heartiest praise that hath caused us to be brought up in such a Church whose Faith is truly Christian and Primitive and that Faith which is according to Godliness whose Worship is truly Pious and Grave and Serious as such should be All whose Doctrines and Articles whose Offices and Ceremonies are truly adapted to promote the same amongst all her Votaries And if Salvation be to be had in Communion with any Church in the World I am sure it is in such an One. And to this to add a serious resolution to adhere stedfastly to the same and not permit our selves like fools and children to be turned to and fro with every slight of doctrine by cunning and designing men whose Interest or whose Passion and some pitiful low design oblige them to defame and destroy her and to make Factions and Rents in her as the most certain methods unto both And to conclude this Inference when we are importuned and solicited by any of these and take upon us to judge of the Doctrines offer'd to us let us not so much consider the fine pleas that subtil men make for them but bring them to this touchstone and try them honestly and carefully by it and we shall soon satisfie our selves and find enough to preserve us against the infection of them and as S. John saith Hereby know the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error The Conclusion AND now Sir I have finished that trouble which I intend to give you at this time I am very sensible that besides the imperfections attending what I have done there are two or three things greatly wanting to complete this design and worthy of a larger consideration being but only lightly touched in these Papers 1. To Vindicate all the Articles in the Christian Faith by this Rule and shew the conduciveness of each to the great purpose of Holiness 2. Secondly To joyn issue with all Heresies and the considerable Sects and Opinions that disturb the peace of the Church at present upon this question and try if the Principles of them all be not condemnable by this Rule But Sir these are things which will take up more time than at present I can spare to them And I am willing to see how you resent this that I have done before I burthen you with more But to let you see how wholly I am at your command provided you remit me to my own time us I am sure you will I promise to do in these what you think fit to require of me Being extremely desirous in every thing so to acquit my self as may secure me the reputation and honour of being Your most humble Servant FINIS