erring Consciences men may perplex themselves and raise doubts causlesly and erre in this and this error will be the greater when after all this they pretend perplexity and doubts made unto them when they are onely the mists which themselves have raised to blear their own eyes and such a work I think is never more inauspiciously performed than when they set their wits on work to dispute themselves out of the Lords verge and circle within the compass whereof alone he useth to charm all his Elect after they have run their wilde race and compass and bring them home like the prodigal child to his father so them to their heavenly father and therewithall to the sobriety of their wits and integrity of their senses that they may say Oh what love have I to thy Law all the day long is my study in it the Law of thy mouth is deerer to me than thousands of gold and silver by this I have more understanding than my Teachers Indeed the Law of the Lord is a perfect Law converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisdom to the simple yea and such wisdom as maketh wise unto salvation and what should we desire more Disc But could so many Divines of former Ages be ignorant of this Have there not so many Wars been undertaken for this cause Could those learned men suffer so many thousands of men to run headlong hoth by doing and suffering into the hazard of body and soul for Religions sake and so many unspeable mischiefs to arise whenas it is possible for a man to be saved without the Controversies of Religion But if this be the command of God under the pain of temporall and everlasting punishment to fight for those Controversies how can we excuse those shuffling arguments of Faith Religion and Gods Worship A Servant may not abate any thing of his Lords due Consid Be ignorant of this of what That Controversies are not necessary to salvation how doth that appear they deserved any such censure but let 's not please our selves in confusion of things that deserve to be distinguished A man yea an whole Nation may live in peace without war but if they are not suffered to live in peace but some enemy or other invades them as Aram before and the Philistins behinde ready to devour us with open mouth shall we sit still with our hands in our bosome till these monsters devour us one after another as Polyphemus intended to deal with Vlysses and his souldiers though he shewed him this favour that he should be the last that should go to pot This is the condition of Gods Church and hath been from the very dayes of the Apostles inclusively the mysteries of godliness being now revealed in Gods word Many there be that cannot digest these mysteries and submit unto them by faith but though they imbrace the truths of the Gospell in som particulars yet they resist it in others or pretending to imbrace it they pervert wrest it by corrupt interpretation In this case are not the Orthodox driven to hold their own and as S. Jude exhorts them to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints and to indeavour to kill error rather than to suffer errour to strangle the holy truth of God open the truth of God which is according unto godliness rather to root out weeds than to suffer them to over-grow the good corn Thus we are cast upon Controversies whether wee will or no yet this is not a dutie that belongs to all many yea most shall be saved without it like as when an enemy invades us we gather an Army against them to oppose them and drive them out the rest pray for their fellow-brethren but do not fight yet by this war they may have as great an interest in the desired peace as those that fight for it Thus Chamayar of the French Church hath written his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bella Domini the Wars of the Lord against the Philistines the Antichristian Philistines of the Church of Rome scarce one hath done the like yet many sons of that honourable Church have done valiantly but Chamayer hath surmounted them all every one doth not gird himself with the sword upon the thigh at all but onely those who are the Lords Naunchan his instructed ones for these who are overseers and keepers of the Tower of David built for defence a thousand shields hung therein and all the Targets of the strong men Cant. 4.4 and these are well acquainted with them and know how to use them yea and to handle the sword too as expert in war and in this holy war they will be content to hazard their life as S. Paul professeth saying and now I go bound to Jerusalem in the Spirit not knowing what things shall come unto me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every like saying that bonds and afflictions abide me but I pass not for these things neither is my life deer unto me so I may fulfill my course with joy and the Ministration which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God As for the shuffling Arguments here spoken of when I know them I shall upon due consideration pass my judgement on them as I see cause A man may sophisticate I confess in making Arguments but shuffling courses commonly have place in shifting them off by an undue solution Wee know what Pauls course was he fought with Beasts at Ephesus and Stephens fortunes too when certain of the Synagogue which were called Libertines and Cyrenians disputed with Stephen did not he also dispute with them The Text saith expresly they were not able to resist the wisdom of the Spirit by which he spake If Lam offered up saith Paul upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I rejoyce therein and will joy Dis Let this thing be considered seeing it is so intricate and lead me and many others into disquiet of minde for which perplexities of Conscience none will deny that a remedy is to be sought at the hands of those that have Christian fellow-feeling and might be found if all the Divines of those sides that have left Popery would vouchsafe to afford me a wise milde and solid Answer in writing not savouring of partiality prejudice or passion Consid When Boste was taken by the States there was seen in the wall a Bishop sometimes of that town painted with Christ and his blood on the one side and the Virgin Mary and her breasts sprouting milk on the other side and the devout Bishop was represented there in the gesture of a man in great perplexity and ambiguity not knowing well which to prefer whether Christs blood before Maries milk or Maries milk before Christs blood and this expressed in Latine Verses and one of the Martialists as it were to put him out of his mood and perplexity Why thou Sott quoth he get thee to Gott Who I pray was
If it be objected unto them that they wilfully and against their consciences doe condemn the Lutheran Tenents and confirm their own They will answer That this were a very grievous sin and that men ought not to presume that they would salsifie and corrupt the Letters and Commands of their Lord to his sons and subjects much less that they do maliciously erre and lead themselves and others into the danger of their salvation and to say the truth it is not likely that so many hundred thousands of men would come to that pitch of malice though one should especially seeing they dare confirm their honest meaning with an Oath wherefore unless they be convinced of maliciously-wilfull error we shall seem injuriously to slander them 3. It may be objected Perhaps they be fore-stalled with preconceived opinions I answer How You will say they accustom themselves from their cradles to their own Religion forsaking the Bible and other Books I answer This is true in Popery but not in Calvinists and others which urge the Bible more than we do These have more freedom than we have to the other Religions Do not the children of the Lutherans also inure themselves to their Religion from their childhood Do they learn a Popish or Calvinisticall Catechism before they have learned a Lutheran one Is not that a mans Religion to which he accustoms himself How doth a child or a Lay-man that hath been taught no Religion know what is Lutheranism or Calvinism Doth he not take that Religion which is first offered to him Besides no fore-conceited Opinion is so fast rooted but that it will give place to clear demonstrations which is confessed among all Therefore we shall never be able to confute any Religion with the Objection of fore-conceived opinions What shall I say more Doe other Religions want civill learning There are found amongst them sufficiently learned and ingenious men and oftentimes they have much better and fitter means for the advancement of Learning than the Lutherans have especially the Papists who make choice of the best wits whom they imploy in a manner from their cradles to their full age in nothing else but study meditation and continuall exercises and do abundantly supply them with all things which serve or seem to serve for their furthering and forwarding and with all care and diligence do remove and take away whatsoever causeth or seems to cause any hindrance of their course They study the Scriptures and Fathers night and day and refuse no labour in learning the foundation of their own Religion and in knowing and understanding the Errors of others Nay the method and manner of learning of comparing the Scriptures of interpreting according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Faith of bringing no sense to the Scriptures and such other rules cannot be unknown to them Obj. But perhaps God hath not granted them his Spirit and this grace I answer God being sought unto and solicited by prayers denies to no man his grace and Spirit of Truth Now men of other Religions crave of God the inlightning of their minde and direction in a right way no less than our selves nay as far as we can discern perhaps with a greater fervency and zeal neither are we to think that they ask it out of hypocrisie and with dissimulation and that so they would mock God Therefore it is to be taken for granted that the Spirit is where the fruits of the Spirit are found of which none ought to boast above others Nay more the knowlege of understanding the Scriptures is a peculiar gift of the Spirit which is granted no less to others than to us It is true indeed that he onely understands the Scriptures which hath the Spirit that dictated them and as it is in worldly Laws no Doctors interpretation or deciding doth justifie till the Law-giver approve that deciding Yet he that boasteth of such approbation of the Spirit is bound to shew it unless he will be counted but an ordinary Doctor Obj. If any should here object that the Scriptures themselves bear witness of their own cleerness according to that Thy Word is a Lanthorn to my feet c. and you have a more sure Word c. I answer All the Commands of God are his Word and so are all his Works which are through his Word for it is confessed by all that God sets forth his Word by Nature the Creature Signs Wonders beneath above and by infinite wayes also the Scriptures witness that many things neither are nor can be written Therefore the VVord of his Voice is taken diversly in the Scriptures and so by consequence all that is called Gods Word is not necessarily to be understood of the Scriptures Hereunto add that at that time many parts of Scripture were not yet written wherefore the evidence of the thing manifestly proveth that this is not spoken of the whole Argument and Letter of the Scripture for as much as the Figures of the Prophecy of the Apocalyps and infinite other things belonging to the fulfilling of those Prophecies were hidden from the Prophets themselves and the Fathers much more then from others and are yet hidden Christ himself speaks in parables to the end that men may hear with their ears and not understand The Scripture it self in very many places witnesseth that the Word of God is secret obscure hidden and discovered onely to the Spirit or to the Godly onely to whom God reveals it so that in the Scriptures there are more testimonies of their obscuritie than of their clearness yet is not the Scripture hereby either rejected or slighted For even before the Law was given and written men had a certain light by the help whereof they might if they would have found out the truth more clearly than we and although in the New Testament a great light be risen yet must we not think that in the Old Testament there was a meer blindness Whence we may reason that God thought it not usefull for us to reveal all things to us but though all things perhaps be not necessary to be known yet nevertheless there may be had a certain and infallible way of interpreting by the help whereof the most and most necessary Controversies may be decided of which if triall be made a cleer light and meer harmony may be shown in such Scriptures as according to the opinion of many are obscure It is possible also that there should be not a few other wayes of illustrating that which is obscure although this ill tried way be not used alone for there may both be admitted and used agreements coming from the same Spirit and word sometimes where there is no demonstration Nor am I moved with that Objection that it is enough for the Lutherans that they are assured of the truth of Lutheranism though others cannot see and believe it For this is not that which I would have I enquire how a man may be sure not of his own opinion but of the truth
Now if I believe and determine that such a thing is true this is my opinion yet is it not therefore the truth seeing truth and opinion have nothing in them alike A stedfast perswasion changeth not the essence of the thing whereof a man is perswaded For then might melancholick persons whose opinion is unmovable work miracles and make all their conceits essentiall The nature of true knowledge is this to be demonstrable not to me or some men but to all and to win a consent from any man as two and three makes five A thing controverted and which some understand one way some another can never make me certain and free from doubt whether I have the truth or no and he that knowes no other than what he determines may be excused of malice and hypocrisie But this reasoning I and my follower are sure of this thing therefore it is true is unreasonable reasoning Lastly If we build our Religion onely upon the Scripture the learned shall have a great Prerogative above the unlearned in the matter of Faith and Religion and shall be more ingaged in thankefulness to God than they and so Religion shall favour and cleave to good wits Also many have their senses exercised in the Scripture or are more inventive and ingenious than others therefore if a man could by disputing and reasoning confute some Thesis and as it were take away a mans opinion from him and become Conqueror he should also take away his Religion and the other should be constrained either to take up this Conquerors Religion or against his conscience to keep his own Nor will that Answer serve the turn Our Divines and Pastors can answer you though I cannot for then should I believe with another mans saith but faith must bee mine not another mans else should salvation also be another mans If Religion be the service of God surely it is necessary that I understand that service which I must perform to my Lord. Seeing God will not reckon another mans service for mine and cannot be served by a Substitute it remains that wee conclude Controversies are to be left to learned men and are not so very necessary It may be answered Then also Religion is to be left to learned men for Controversies are our very Religion for saving the consideration of them there is no difference but Papists are Protestants and Protestants are Papists look how much a man knowes of Controversies so much doth he know of his own Religion The state of a mans salvation is such as is his Religion and his Faith Now there is but one salvation nor but one faith But if Controversies belong to the learned onely wherefore have the Lay-men indured so many afflictions distresses nay and death it self for those Controversies sake I know indeed that a Calvinist Doctor one Doctor Bergius a Preacher at Bremen affirms in his late published Sermons that Controvrsies are not meerly necessary to salvation That the Scripture is plain and clear in those things which are necessary to salvation and that there was never any contrariety between the Religions themselves At which also the Leipsich-Collation between the Lutherans and Calvinists seems to aim This I am perswaded is very true that had the Holy Ghost judged those Controverted Questions necessary to salvation it would have expressed and propounded them in the holy Scripture clearly and plainly seeing those Epistles were sent to simple and Lay-men especially Nor doth it seem likely to be true that ever there were so many Articles of Faith drawn out of them as are now to be read in the Catechisms Common-places and Compends of Divines As yet there is no certain number of them determined seeing some Divines have propounded more and some fewer and some Religions have in process of time either added or abated whole Articles and after many miseries indured for the defence of some of them entring a way of moderation they have determined that for tolerable and indifferent which before they thought damnable But howsoever there are so many of them that a man may deservedly call in question the precise necessity of them And this seems the best Solution to disintangle and appease perplexed doubtfull and erring Consciences But could so many thousand Divines of former Ages be ignorant of this Have there not so many Wars been undertaken for this cause Could those learned men suffer so many thousands of men to run headlong both by doing and suffering into the hazard of body and soul for Religions sake and so many unspeable mischiefs to arise whenas it is possible for a man to be saved without the Controversies of Religion But if this be the command of God under pain of temporall and everlasting punishment to fight for those Controversies how can we excuse those shuffling agreements of Faith Religion and Gods Worship A Servant may not abate any thing of his Lords due Let this thing be considered seeing it is so intricate and leads me and many others into disquiet of minde for which perplexities of Conscience none will deny that a remedy is to be sought at the hands of those that have Christian fellow-feeling and might be found if all the Divines of those sides that have left Popery would vouchsafe to afford me a wise milde and solid Answer in writing not savouring of partiality prejudice or passion THE Doubting Conscience Resolved In Answer to a pretended Perplexing Question Consideration IT is an old saying that Vniversus Mundus exercet histrioniam but I think never more verified in any Age than in this There was a time when the Devill plaid his part in the shape of a Dragon with seaven heads and ten horns Rev. 12.3 7 9. But after the war in heaven between Michael and his Angells on the one side and the Dragon and his Angells on the other the Dragon was cast out into the earth and his Angells were cast out with him But he continued to play the part of an old Serpent still which deceiveth the whole world Leo Serm. 6. de Epiphan Adversarius qui in apertis inefficax persecutionibus tecta nocendi arte desaevit and no marvell if intelligent spirits are very subdolous and full of craft Bernard in Quadrag Serm. 5. Eum nimis astutum fecit tam natura subtilis quam longa exercitatio malitiae ejus And afterwards he found as powerfull means to doe mischief to the Church of God Gladio oris by the sword of the mouth as formerly he had done ore Gladii by the mouth or edge of the sword even by another Beast who had two horns like the Lamb Rev. 13.11 13. but spake like the Dragon And this Beast first was operative by deceit For he did great wonders so that he made fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and deceived them that dwelt on earth by the means of his miracles This is that Man of Sin St. Paul speaks of whose comming was in the effectuall power
the Socinians of these dayes whose opinion was cried down at Paris and openly proclamed hereticall by the sound of a Trumpet 3. Or shall the Rule of interpretation of Scripture be the congruity of it to naturall reason as the Socinians make it This is most shamefull and unreasonable considering 1. That our naturall reason is much corrupt by the sin of Adam The things of God seem foolishness to the naturall man 1 Cor. 2.14 naturally we are all darkness 2. In the state of innocency do we think that Adam by naturall reason was able to find out or justifie the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Deitie We say God may be known by light of Nature Quod attinet ad Vnitatem naturae but not known quod attinet at Trinitatem Personarum God hath set the world in mans heart saith Solomon yet can he not finde out the works that he hath wrought from the beginning to the end Eccl. 3. and if he cannot finde out the works of God is he able to find out the nature of God himself we know he is said to dwell in a dark cloud Disc Obj. Some may object The Sects do not follow the Scriptures onely but they add the Papists their Traditions the Calvinists their Reasons the Anabaptists their Dreams I answer They do so in those things which are not cleerly taught in the holy Scriptures but in the controversies between them and Lutherans they proceed not so but by Scriptures they fight against Lutheran Tenents which are confirmed by the Scriptures and indeavour by the help of the Scriptures to sight for and defend their own which the Lutherans by Scriptures doe condemn Nay more there are some viz. the Anabaptists that urge the Scriptures in the very Letter more than the rest The Calvinists use their reason and out of the Scriptures draw Arguments which thing the Lutherans also doe never suffering any of theirs to reason against the Scriptures Consid This Author will have the making of his own bed and shapes his Reader at the first encounter to yeeld acknowledging the uncontradictable nature of his former one onely Argument which yet I have shewed to be both very weak very ridiculous and very untrue But we keep our ground professing to the world that the Scriptures alone being the Word of God are the rule of our faith and no word of man Papists add Traditions which yet they account the Word of God unwritten we abhor to make any thing the rule of our faith but the written Word of God It is falsly said that Calvinists add their Reason they rather suppose Reason than add it the Word of God being given to none but reasonable creatures Neither doe we make this Reason of ours a rule of faith added to Gods Word but it is that light which God hath given us wherewith to search into the meaning of his Word and by studious inquisition and observation to discover it and make it known to others and by good reason out of the Text to convict others of the truth And doth this Authors reason go to bed and sleep when he comes to read and studiously to consider the Word of God If it doth he will prove no better than a drowsie Student and I know no reason but such a one may be in love with dreams as well as Anabaptists 1. In his Answer he carrieth himself most absurdly and ridiculously For 1. Most insipidly he supposeth that the Controversies amongst Protestant Divines are about such things as are clearly taught in Scripture as if they agreed in those things which are not clearly set down in Scripture and differ onely about things which are clearly delivered there 2. He supposeth that Calvinists do not use reason in the controversies between them and the Lutherans but onely in other things which is most untrue and absurd withall for controversies cannot possibly be mannaged without reason both as touching the proof of their own Tenet and touching the disproof of the Tenet oposite And this must needs be the guise of the Lutherans also It is false which he saith of Anabaptists that they urge the very letter of Scriptures more than the rest For both Calvinists and Lutherans insist wholly upon the literall sense of Scripture and more than the Anabaptist in case they as formerly by this Author said did depend in dreams for so doe not Protestants but on Scripture only and that according unto sense literall not at all according to sense mysticall save onely in case the sense mysticall be expounded by some Apostle and thereby made literall 2. But herein this Authors ignorance discovers its self that hee confounds sense literall with the proper sense of the words We acknowledge sense literall to comprehend sense Metaphoricall as well as proper and to stand in contradiction onely to sense mysticall But in case we take that in a metaphoricall sense which our adversaries in any point take in a sense proper if we doe not prove the sense wherein we take it and disprove theirs by convincing Arguments we will allow the liberty to reject our Tenet and follow their own for we desire to make our faith evident to the consciences of all opposites and if they can make their Tenets in like manner evident to us we will renounce our own and imbrace theirs 3. And this Author speaks at random and he knows not what when he would have his Reader believe the Calvinists permit any to reason against the Scriptures for by reason to clear the meaning of Scripture is not I trust to reason against it but for it rather especially considering that by reason of Scripture onely we dispute the meaning of any place Disc Object 2. If it be objected unto them that they wilfully and against their consciences do condemn the Lutheran Tenets and confirm their own they will answer Ans This were a very grievous sin and that men ought not to presume that they would falsifie and corrupt the Letters and Commands of their Lord to his sons and subjects much less that they do maliciously erre and lead themselves and others into the dauger of their salvation and to say the truth it is not likely that so many hundred thousands of men would come to that pitch of malice though one should especially seeing they dare confirm their honest meaning with an Oath wherefore unless they be convicted of maliciously wilfull error we shall seem injuriously to slander them Consid I see no reason why such a censure should be passed upon the Calvinians more than upon the Lutherans more speciously it should be passed by them that are Orthodox upon them that are not though I justifie not this censure whosoever makes it and certainly there is no just cause to pass it upon them who are in the right and charity will forbid us rashly to pass this censure upon them who are in the wrong And as I finde defect of love in them who pass such censures hand over head upon
the extraction of roots and the number 25. found to be the root of 666. so far as it comes to be said in the usuall way of Arithmetick to have a root discovering strange mysteries concerning the delineating of that Beast the body of Antichrist in a wonderfull manner No marvell if these mysteries were hidden from the Prophets themselves who wrote those Prophecies for first the knowledge of them was nothing necessary to their salvation 2. God had appointed a certain time when the light of them should break forth to irradiate his Church with unspeakable consolation when they stood most in need thereof the accomplishment of those Prophecies drawing neer Christ spake in parables to some not to all yet some of his parables were understood by them even against whom they were spoken in particular Those that were not understood by the multitude our Saviour revealed to his Disciples as often as they sought it yea and other mysteries too namely the signs fore-going the destruction of Jerusalem his own coming and the end of the world Mat. 24. It is true the Scriptures contain the mysteries of godliness which are not apprehended according to their condition but by the Regenerate but as for the meaning of the Scripture it is quite of another nature which this Author considers not and is incident to a reprobate yea in such a measure as to make him an able Doctor in the Church and Orthodox throughout which may tend to the edification of others when in the mean time such a one shall fall short of the salvation of his own soul The secrets of the Lord which he reveals to them that fear him is the secret of his Covenant Psal 25. There is a secret also in Faith-Catholike and in all the mysteries of godliness which is peculiar to the Regenerate only and it is to discern the wisdom of God and the power of God in them which have true Faith A reprobate may believe the same things by a naturall faith onely yea believe it and carry themselves like good scholars too while they instruct others therein Still we say that the Scripture is plain and clear enough as touching all things necessary to salvation and all this discourse is plausible onely through distinction and to deny the Scripture to be fairly intelligible to one that is desirous to know the meaning of it is a great disparagement to the Word of God and dishonor to God himself disparaging either his goodness that would not or his wisdom that he knew not how to order it so that by searching the Scriptures they might have eternall life If before the Law men had a light whereby they might finde the truth more clearly than we then the former times were times of greater light and grace than the later but this is contrary both to the generall judgment of the Christian world and to universall experience For as light naturally increaseth more and more untill it be perfect day so it hath been with light spirituall yet the Sun the fountain of light naturall hath sometimes gone backward ten degrees not so the sun of rigteousness men have gone backward I confess in the course of their obedience but God hath gone forward rather than backward in the course of administration of his grace We doe not say there was a meer blindness or blindness at all in Gods children although in present discourse not of mans blindness but of Gods progress in causing the irradiation of his light but this we say that the word of the Prophets was a most sure word to which our fore-fathers did well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place but now a long time day hath dawned and the Gospell is the day-star that ariseth in our hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 For that God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness is he which hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 And in these dayes of grace we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 To say that though all things be not necessary to be known yet nevertheless there may be had a certain and infallible way of interpreting whereby the most and most necessary Controversies may be decided is to represent a shew of Antithesis where there is none But that is little materiall but here is a declination to the contrary extreme hitherto the clearness of Scripture hath been opposed here an infallibility of interpreting is introduced but Medio tutissimus ibis and vertue usually consists in a mediocrity which Horace calls auream Mediocritatem Since the Apostles days the true Church of Christ challengeth to her self no infallible authority of interpreting Scripture 't is enough that in things necessary to salvation the Lord assures us by his Spirit that we are not deceived that is sufficicient for the state of grace and as for infallibility let us be content to have that condition reserved for the state of glory I nothing doubt but by study and care and pains most Controversies may be so clearly decided as shall be sufficient either for the converting of a capable Hearer to the imbracing of it or for the convicting him of obstinacy in withstanding it but I little looked that the beginning of this discourse would have so unsutable an end Mr. Dury as I remember is occupied about some such methode as this I wish heartily it may succeed well but take heed we do not cry down all performances that have gone before us as if they were palpable insufficiencies in comparison to our own new inventions whether in clearing truths controversial or obscure places of Scripture Well we shall rest contented with that measure we are arrived unto untill a greater measure of light arise above the Horizon of our Sphere and whensoever it comes I trust we shall give it that respect which it deserves and right thankfully entertain it whether in the way of illustration which best pleaseth the sense or in the way of demonstration which most justifieth the judgment Disc Nor am I moved with that Objection that it is enough for the Lutherans that they are assured of the truth of Lutheranism though others cannot see and believe it for this is not that which I would have I enquire how a man may be sure not of his own opinion but of the truth Now if I believe and determine that such a thing is true this is my opinion yet is not therefore the truth seeing truth and opinion have nothing in them alike and stedfast perswasion changeth not the essence of the thing whereof a man is perswaded for then should melancholick persons whose opinion is unmoveable work miracles and make all their conceits essentiall The nature of true knowledge is this so be demonstrable not to
me or some men but to all and to win a consent from any man as two and three make five A thing controverted and which some understand one way and some another can never make me certain and free from doubt whether I have the truth or no and he that knowes no other than what he determines may be excused of malice and hypocrisie But this reasoning I and my follower are sure of this thing therefore it is true is unreasonable reasoning Consid Surely if I am in a right way it is enough for me to be assured of the truth for me it is for my salvation yet because I am bound to seek for the salvation of others also No man must imitate Cain in saying am I my brothers keeper yet that which is enough for me to be assured of the truth which I maintain may be enough for another also to bring him to be assured of the same truth For if this sufficiency I speak of be in the way of rationall discourse out of the Word of God if it is it self sufficient it is sufficient for the satisfaction of any that is capable thereof and all such light being light naturall and in the way of discourse is of a communicable nature to all rationall creatures by a rationall discourse But true faith is wrought by spirituall illumination which is not in my power to communicate unto any other onely the Spirit of God can do this enlightning whom he will while others are suffered to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death And this is the onely saving way to be sure of Truths Theologicall It is true that which I believe whatsoever it be and in what kinde soever it be believed is not therefore truth because I believe it but if I believe by illumination divine it is therefore truth because I believe it after such a manner though this I cannot communicate to another or make another hereby either bee perswaded of it himself or be perswaded that I am after such a sort perswaded of it Light naturall I may communicate unto another light spirituall I cannot and light naturall either in way of naturall discourse is communicative of it self from commonly-known principles by the light of nature or from principles on both sides agreed as namely that the Scriptures are the Word of God Now when the Spirit of God inlightens me the thing I imbrace is not my opinion but my faith and my perswasion herein is in stedfastness and nothing inferiour to naturall knowledge but superiour rather light spirituall and divine being superiour to light naturall like as knowledge by sense is superiour to knowledge by reason rationall knowledge depending upon knowledge sensitive For generall principles doe arise from experience and enumeration of particulars And as I remember Theologia is said to be non argumentativa to wit as it is supernaturall and compared rather to sensitive knowledge as to the sense of seeing open mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Law and to the sense of hearing He that hath an ear let him hear for it is one thing to hear the voice of a man another thing to hear the voice of God one thing to see a work wrought another thing to behold the hand of God in it one thing to discern the meaning of a Scripture-passage another thing to discern the wisdom of God and the power of God in it So it is compared to the sense of smelling 2 Cor. 2.14 We are a sweet savour unto God in Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish and where the body is there will the Eagles bee gathered together Sometimes to the sense of tasting as 1 Pet. 2.1 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if ye have tasted that the Lord is bountifull So Halensis professeth that the things of God are apprehended per modum gustus The sense of feeling doth fairly represent the knowledge of God by his works Act. 17.27 That they should seek the Lord if so be they might have groped after him and found him though doubtless he be not far from every one of us This Author seems to take no notice hereof no more than the Socinians doe in these dayes and that is the foul spot I finde in Master Shillingsworth Book And bee pleased I pray to put a difference between melancholike persons and the children of God who because they are sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts remember that of the Apostle This perswasion is not of God plainly giving to understand that the perswasions of Christian Faith are of God yet I confess this Faith is grounded alwayes upon Gods Word wherein they should beso expert as to be ready thence at all times to render a reason of their faith to any that should demand it But that may an unregenetate person be able to do as well yea and many times better too When he saith the nature of true knowledge is demonstrable this is true of knowledge naturall not of knowledge Christian which is grounded onely on Gods Word and it was never known that to prove a thing out of Scripture was called demonstration Aristotle denies that Morall Philosophie is capable of demonstration it proceeds onely by perswasion but it may bee for the evidence of the Scripture aptly alleged he calls it demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet consider no deduction out of Scripture can be so clear as to be exempted from all cavillings but never was it known that any man cavilled with a truth as clear as this that two and three makes five If we can never be free from doubt if the thing be controverted as for instance a passage of Scripture some understanding it one way and some another what oertainty can I have of any point of Faith I maintain in opposition to Papists to Socinians to any Heretike yet I should not look that the thing controverted should free me from doubt it is enough that I have good evidence for it though all the world run a madding in controverting that which I believe Now no evidence of truths Theologicall and saving truths is comparable to the evidence which proceeds from the illumination of the Spirit giving me new eyes as it were and opening the eyes of my understanding that I may see and discern the things of God and that holy Spirit is able to free me from all doubt yet there is another knowledge which is natural partly derived from naturall principles and partly from a dextrous interpretation of Scriptures which we shall bee able to make good against all Cavillers to their confusion and upon sober consciences to their assent but this is inferiour to the illumination of the Spirit I can hardly think any Christian to be so simple or wilfull to reason thus I and my follower are sure of this thing therefore it is true if they should I see no reason but