thee on selfe purging but at last he that shall come will come 4. A fourth ground of instability may be the violence and heate of their affections to find out truth which puts them on to an inquisitivâ—nesse a triall a search of all things In which search it may be this appeares a truth and may be another time there seemes a truth in another men are not setled while they are searching they are not fixed while they are inquiring their good affections prompt them on to inquire after truth and during inquiry they are unfixed and unsetled in the truth And so much for the second generall ground why many are carried away viz. want of stability 3. A third ground too much credulity Some men are too slow to beleeve and some are too facile and easie of beliefe to be too slow to beleeve when God speakes is our wickednesse and to be too facile and easie of beliefe what man speakes is weaknesse It is not good to be slow to beleeve a truth and it is evill to be facile to beleeve an errour and yet both these may arise from the same grounds in the spirit A man is slow to beleeve a truth because he doth suspect it an errour and he is facile to beleeve an errour because he doth apprehend it for a truth so that both these may arise from the honesty of a mans spirit in the one he is fearfull to entertaine an errour and therfore slow to beleeve a truth in the other he is fearfull to reject a truth and therfore gives entertainment to an errour Feare is oftentimes made a shooing-horne to draw on an errour and to hold out a truth But this I am not now to deale withall That which I am now upon seemes the contrary to feare viz. too much credulity and easinesse of spirit to beleeve which though it be contrary yet two contrary causes may produce one and the same effect Errour may be the effect of an excessisive feare as well as of an easie faith though indeed it be more properly the effect of too easie faith then of an excessive feare Men that take all upon trust are like to be deceived And it is a maine ground why many are carried away with errour their overmuch credulity their easinesse of beliefe There is too much of this temper even in the godly themselves and I have thought of divers grounds of it 1. This easinesse to beleeve doth arise from the great esteeme of the wisdome and holinesse of those who hold forth an opinion if indeed he were learned and not godly or if he were godly and weake in knowledge it would give some place to jealousie but where these two meete together they have great authority upon the spirits of men and all that proceeds from such men is received as infallible truth men take things upon trust from an honest man but they will examine what a cheater brings if an honest man bring you gold you will scarce try it especially if he say it is weight he hath tried it and he knowes it to be weight but if a dishonest man bring it though he say it is good yet you will try it Men will suspect a truth if a liar tell it and therfore Christ would not own the Devils acknowledgement of him when he said thou art the Sonne of God But they will be ready to beleeve an untruth if an honest faithfull man affirme it When you heare any news of great concernment the first thing you enquire is of what credit is the authour and if he be thus qualified 1. That he be a man of great intelligence one who knowes much of affaires 2. If he be a wise man and an honest man one who is not over credulous that will beleeve all and disperse for truth what ever he heares if he be one who hath seldome failed in his intelligence one that hath often spoken truth you conclude that what ever he brings is truth and yet it is possible for this man to publish a falshood too So if you know one who is a wise learned man a man hath much commerce with Heaven and intelligence thence one who is godly and holy and a man not apt to receive all opinions not overcredulous to take in all nor forward to vent all which he hath heard nay and perhaps hath been one who hath delivered many glorious truths of Christ why such a man you are ready to receive all from him even as Gospell you beleeve all he saith every thing comes with a great deale of authority into your spirits And yet its possible for this man to be mistaken it is possible to erre we know but in part saith the Apostle and who can say he is infallible in his knowledge Indeed there is much to be given to a man thus qualified in points that are of lesse concernment and controverted on all sides and this may be done I conceive without any prejudice to faith I say it may be done and yet not to resolve our faith into the authority of men But when this carries all when opinions are drunke in because they are the judgement of such men or because such men so godly so learned so faithfull doe hold them forth this is to pin our faith upon anothers sleeve this is to resolve our faith into the authority of others and is a shread of that garment whereby Babylon is distinguished it hath much of the Roman doctrine in it I beleeve as the Church beleeves so I beleeve it because such hold it forth And that is the first ground of overmuch credulousnesse in men which we had need to beware of and the more because we are too apt to slide into it and put man in Gods steed to us 2. A second ground of this overmuch credulousnesse is the benigne and faire aspects which an opinion carries It may be you heare of an opinion and it is comely drest it carries such faire and benigne aspects it lookes so lovely that we are ready to receive it and give entertainment to it without any more examination Thus the Devil beguiled Eve at the first the Apostle tells us she was deceived and what deceived her it was the benigne aspects which the fruit carried you reade it Gen. 3.6 And when she saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise here were the benigne aspects the lovely lookes of it and what followes she tooke of the fruit thereof and did eate and did eate her death in it too so here when we looke upon the benigne and faire aspects which an opinion may seeme to carry we are ready to receive it and give entertainment to it without further triall This is to worke upon the understanding by the affections which is a preposterous and a dangerous way because the affections are blinde coecae potentiae and those gain'd they win the understanding to them by
it may stand with Gods mercifull ends to those who are brought in that there should be many errours II. We are now come to the second how it may stand with Gods mercifull ends to those who are not yet called but in his purpose to call And it may stand with Gods mercifull ends to those yet in his purpose to call or those who are not yet called and brought in 1. To be a meanes to awaken them and put them upon the study and enquiry after truth the aboundance of errours abroad may put men to search and find out what is truth when you see men up in armes as it were in hot contentions to find out what is truth who save only Atheists but will think themselves concern'd in it every one will think surely it is their businesse also and so will fall upon inquisition and search of it If there be any thoughts of eternity in you if you be not Atheists if you doe conceive there is a Heaven and a hell and that errour leades one way and truth the other it cannot be but that aboundance of errours abroad must awaken you and put you on to enquire to heare to reade to confer to endeavour to find out truth It was the multitude of errours which put Luther to search out what was truth if there had not been so many errours it might be he had not enquired and sought out truth the like I may say of Calvin and others and the errours and corruptions in worship imposed did put on us to the triall of the whole and made us more strict to examine the bottomes whereon we stood 2. God suffers it to beate them off their sandy foundations whereon they build As it is a meanes to put you on to search what your foundation is whereon you build the bottome whereon you stand so it is a meanes to beat you off your sandy foundations When a man sees aboundance of opinions abroad one saith this another that sure it will make a man to put the question to himselfe upon what foundation doe I stand what is my bottome And how can he have any rest till he have gotten a better foundation to build on a foundation which none of these opinions can shake and unsettle when he sees so many faire buildings specious structures to fall down and not able to stand out the blast of triall and temptation because they are houses built on the sands It will make a man to enquire after the rock and endeavour to build there that when the wind blowes yet the house may stand firme This is the different working which opinions have upon the good and bad upon such whom God hath a purpose of good unto and upon such that he will not own That the one the multitude of opinions doth draw him away or else Atheist him that he will be nothing The other it doth un-atheist him put him upon the search and examination what is the truth of God One he is now more formall and minds no more but meere formality to goe to Church and say over a prayer and if God will save him with that well and good he will doe no more The other these things doe fire him out of his formality and he can have no rest till he come to some bottome to stand on And that is another end God hath he would awaken and beate us off our sandy foundations 3. God suffers multitude of opinions and out of mercy to them who are not yet brought in to clear the way unto those who are not yet brought into the ways of grace that when they are brought in they may be able to see their way more clearely As we our selves doe receive a great deale of light and benefit by the sufrings and clashings of others If there had not been such clashing and disputing in former ages our way had not been so cleare to us in many glorious truths So here God suffers it that posterities may inherit the benefit that after ages might be able to see more clearely what to doe and what is truth It is a great favour for a man that must goe a way dark and knotty to have one goe before him not only with a light to discover the way but with a weapon too to cut down those cumbrances which are in the way that there may be nothing to hinder the passage oh how sweetly how evenly and quietly a man may goe Such gracious ends hath God to after generations by suffering these multitude of opinions and errours to arise in our age and generation Seldome was any truth discovered and cleared but some errour or other was the occasion to draw it out The point of Free grace in opposition to mans free will in the work of conversion had not been so fully discovered if that Pelagius had not broached that errour that man might be saved if he would that he himselfe might beleeve repent if he would which occasioned Augustines so full debates and cleare setling of the truth The freenesse of Gods grace in the work of justification that it is of meere grace had not been so fully cleered to us if it had not been for the errour of the Papists that it was of works and not of grace So the doctrine of predestination that it is of grace and not of faith and works foreseen the contrary errour brought out this truth and helpt the full birth of it So the doctrine of the Sacraments the stability of Gods Covenant with his people perseverance of the elect All these and many thousand more whose birth hath been helped by the publishing of errours the publishing of errours have been a meanes to the cleering of the most precious truths we have which had not been so cleere to us now if that there had not been a cloud of errours over them before Nay I say since the defection of the Church and the universall corruption by Antichrist and popery there hath scarce any glorious truth been cleared or discovered but by opposite errour Errour hath been a meanes to help on to sift and to find out truth As we bring fire out of flint by striking it so out of these clashings truth Nay you see in Scripture that the publishing of errour was a good meanes or help or gave occasion to the publication of many glorious truths of God Acts 15. you see there the errour which was then broached to the disturbance of the Churches of Antioch was the occasion of the setling and clearer revealing of the opposite truth The Jews errour of being justified by the Law and looking for righteousnesse thereby was an occasion of the publication of the use of the Law the impotencie of it to justifie and save together with those glorious discoveries where and in whom mans righteousnesse did lie Againe The errour that men needed not to looke to their walking and obedience seeing we are justified by faith only gave occasion to the discovery of many precious truths
labour to unsettle us There is indeed a triall that is good and a triall that is bad to try those things that man hath said is good wee are not to beleeve every spirâ—â— but to try all things but to try those things which God hath said is bad those things which God hath said we are commanded to trust to beleeve and then try but those things which men have said we are commanded to try them before we trust them as you see 1 Joh. 3 1. Beleeve not every spirit In the other beleeve here beleeve not what then why you must prove all things try them by the word as the Bereans did But did not the Bereans try what the Apostles said Object and yet commended for it and what they said was infallible and therefore may we try what God hath said as well as what men have said 1. They tried what they said by what they had said Answ and so may we doe or they tried what they said by what was written they tried the word by the word to see how they agreed As Christ bids you search the Scriptures for they testifie of me So they tried what the Apostles said by what was written and such a triall there may be 2. Againe there is a two-fold triall 1. A suspitious triall a triall arising from jealousie and mistrust that the things we have received are unsound and that is bad if it be truth which hath been received 2. There is a confidentiall triall whereby a man is assured of the truth of those things he hath received and rather goes for confirmation in it then out of dubitation or doubt and questioning the things are not true The first triall is bad and that which the Devill aimes at in the multitude of opinions and errours to bring us to a questioning and jealousie and mistrust of those things we have received he would now labour to make us looke upon all Religion as a fancie as a meere notion and all the truths we have received as chimaeras meere notions without foundation he would bring us to entertaine all doubtfully that so we might worke deadly 3. A third end he hath if he cannot seduce us nor unsettle us A third end Satan hath then he labours to shake us though he cannot unsettle us in the beliefe of truth yet he labours to shake us in it you know it is the fruit of the many lying pamphlets abroad it makes men doubt of the very truth it selfe it shakes men in the very confidence and beliefe of those things which are true So the Devill he doth vent his errours and his untruths now that he might shake us in the beliefe of those things are true Object But how doth this shake us Answ 1. You know that all have not attained to the same measure of stedfastnesse all are not so rooted and grounded in truth all have not attained to the same measure of knowledge some are but weake and babes in knowledge though some that are men growne Now the variety of opinions and errours and disputes they are a perplexing a shaking of weake minds though at last they shall but roote firmer for this puts them on search triall prayer and so they shall be firmer yet this may shake them for the present Hence the Apostle Rom. 14.1 Him that is weake in faith receive ye but not unto doubtfull disputations Why so because this was enough to shake and unsettle and trouble a man weake in faith And surely that 's another end why Satan raiseth up doubtfull disputations and sets afoote errours viz. to shake the weake A fourth end which Satan hath 4. A fourth end Satan hath to the godly and that is to perplex them if he cannot seduce them nor unsettle them nor shake them yet if he can but perplex them and trouble them he 's content This is that which God said of him and it is the utmost of his chaine Thou shalt breake his head and he shall bruise thy heele though he cannot breake our head separate us from Christ yet he will bruise our heele though he cannot bring us out of the way of life seduce us from the wayes of truth yet he will doe all he can to perplex and trouble us in them If he cannot seduce us out of the way yet if he can hedge up our way with thornes if he can cast blocks in our way if he can disturbe us in our course which he labours to doe this way he is well content and can afford his labour And this hath been his great designe in all ages of the Church of God to raise up some impostors some notable seducers to perplex and to trouble the Church of God I might carry you down from the Apostles dayes till now you may have enough out of Ecclesiasticall histories how Satan hath still raised up some notable juglers who have troubled the Church of God In the Apostles times you reade of many and afterwards not of a few witnesse the Arrians Manichees Nestorians Pelagians and hundreds more in our dayes the Papists Arminians Socinians with multitudes more both of the right and the left hand by all which he labours to perplex the Church of God and trouble the hearts of the people of God he hath no comfort himselfe and he envies comfort where ever he sees it he hath no peace himselfe he hath all trouble and he is an enemy to peace in us his endeavour is to bruise our heel though in Christ we breake his head 5. A fifth end that Satan hath to the godly and that is A fifth end Satan hath to prejudice the entertainment of further truth Satan knowes full well that towards the end of the world there will be aboundance of truth revealed and made known the knowledge of the Lord shall be as the waters that cover the sea God hath spoken glorious things of the latter dayes every child shall be as David Zach. 12.8 The Sun of righteousnesse the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ it arose in its glory and brightnesse in the first dayes of the Apostles but it was not long before this sun was obnubulated clouded and darkened with the mists of errour and foggs of darknesse which Antichrist and corrupt men raised up which was fore-seen by the Apostle and in his time it began to work although the cloud like Elijahs cloud was no bigger then a mans hand yet the Apostle did then foresee it would span the Heavens and even darken the Sun and shadow the glorious light it selfe as he that hath but looked into the histories of former times may evidently perceive Now towards the end of all things God will scatter these clouds he will cleare the truth and the knowledge of the Lord shall be increased Dan. 12.4 And at this time Satan will vent his errours he will set on foote many dangerous errours to prejudice the hearts of the people of God in the receiving and entertaining of truths to be
studied to know more of Gods mind 4. Though this were true that our fathers held out some truths and that they did not seeke and enquire after more which yet I cannot grant and hold their condition good yet they did not reject further discoveries if revealed to them this is certaine where any truth is received with love there is a readinesse of spirit to embrace all truths that shall be discovered and revealed For this is an undeceiveable evidence of a man that hath received the truth as he is willing to receive all truths he opens his eyes broad for any communication of God so againe he will not reject any truth which is revealed to him Indeed he may reject a truth held forth to him because as yet he doth not apprehend it to be a truth but he cannot reject a truth discovered to him no bye ends wordly respects shall prevaile with him to reject it if God have discovered it 5. But fifthly thou sayest againe our fathers held out these and sought no further which I have disproved And yet thou sayest they were saved and so shalt thou if thou adhere in those which they have left thee well for this I say thus much Admit that they were saved I will grant that yet it will not be enough to cleere this to thee that thou shalt be saved if thou goe on no further they held out these truths but were willing to receive more sure they rejected none that God revealed Thou holdst out these truths and sayest thou adherest to them but dost not adhere to them thou holdst them forth in thy understanding but they are not wrought into thy heart nor held forth in thy life never a truth which thou sayest thou adherest unto which thou livest answerâ—ble to in thy conversation Againe thou adherest rather in them then to them thou seekest to know no more but they did nay thou rejectest those diâ—coveries of God which are made to thee which they did not They might be saved by that little light if true light when they were true to it when they walked answerable to it when they were willing to receive more when they rejected not that which was discovered But you cannot when you walke not answerable to what you have received when you are not willing to receive more when you reject what is discovered to you c. Men may be saved with many errours if not fuundamentall errours and by a little light if true light when no more is revealed But if those errours be discovered to be errours though not fundamentall errours and more truths be revealed to be truths though not foundation truths if you doe reject the one and embrace the other you cannot then looke for salvation Grace embraceth all truths rejects all errour God would have all saved by comming to the knowledge of the truth The Patriarchs lived in the sin of poligamy marrying many wives and esteemed it no sinne to take to themselves as many wives as they pleased so that they were not the wives of another And notwithstanding this great errour the Patriarchs were saved they knew no better and times of ignorance may plead some indulgence But now we cannot looke for life and yet practise such a sin because God hath revealed the truth in this which was more concealed before as Christ said from the beginning it was not so And if any had cause of two wives then the first man to populate the world but God made them male and female And this shall suffice for answer to that objection Object But is not the same truth saving and the same errour damning in any age and therefore that which saved them will save me Answ The truth which is saving now is saving hereafter but the reason why that truth which saves others will not us it doth not arise from any defect in the object truth but in the subject man if the subject receive some truths but not all if willing to entertaine some but to reject others and so to reject some errours but yet to retaine others though convinced of them then there is no salvation 2. The same truth which saved them will save us if received but if received of them and not of us it cannot save now there is no greater evidence that truth is not received then that you are not willing to entertaine more Truth where it comes where it is received into the heart it holds open the doore to let all its kindred in bids all truth welcome and therefore if thou say thou receivest some truth as truth and thy heart is shut up against other truths revealed thou deceivest thy own soule there is no surer character of received truth then willingnesse and universall willingnesse to embrace all Indeed men that receive truth into the head only doe not embrace all truth they pick and choose but if it be received into the heart then the doores are open to all truth and every truth comes with authority and carnall respects shall not hinder the embracing of them And thus we have done with the first how it may stand with Satans ends to the good we come to the second how it may stand with Satans ends to the bad 2. It may stand with Satans ends to the bad and that both to the 1. Receivers and 2. Promoters 1. It may stand with Satans ends to the receivers or to the bad in generall which we will shew you in five particulars 1. To lessen the credit or if you will beliefe of those things which they doe know Men who are yet of unregenerate life may know many truths of God and though they have not much faith of them yet some credit they give to them which begets awfull thoughts of the truth of God and this generall beliefe of these things doth restraine many from many sinnes and puts them upon many generall duties Now Satan cannot endure this light in them he knowes not what in time it may come too and therefore he sets many errours on foote that if possible he might lessen the beliefe of those things which are reall truths and render all you know which keepes you in some awe by virtue of that power the generall beliefe of them hath upon your spirit I say to render them all but notiones secundae chymeraes meere fancies or pollicies the better to keepe men in awe and under rule and some government And in the time of aboundiug errours he will thus deale with a man you thought that this and that was a truth but you see now it comes to be debated it proves but a shadow and so are other things you beleeve if once they were sifted and debated if understanding men would but deale faithfully and would apply themselves to dispute other things you give credit to they would be discovered to be of the same stamp and as little bottome in them as in these which you have built so much upon And here a poore man he is gone
this way and the other this and in both it may be the Scripture is silent or holds out as much for one as the other Now in this case why should there be falling out certainly diversities of opinion may be countenanced and yet without sin provided that it doth not arise either from ficklenesse unsetlednesse and inconstancy in us or from pride that we love to side and differ from others or that it doth not tend to make disturbance of the peace of the Churches of Christ But I am too long on this I will therefore conclude this second generall the ground of abounding errours and come to the third Q. 3. What are the grounds that so many are carried away And because this question doth fall in so much with the former question therefore I shall be short on it In briefe then I shall resolve all into these two generall grounds 1. Weaknesse 2. Wickednesse One incident to the godly the other proper to the wicked The first ground that men are carried away with errour it is weaknesse I will branch this into three particulars 1. Weaknesse of judgement which is the weaknesse of head There are many who though they have grace and good affections in them yet want knowledge they are babes in understanding they want judgement to examine and try opinions the things in controversie are above their fathom their line is too short and they want sufficiency of light to discerne of things that differ to distinguish between truth and errour there is a great deale of sophistry in errour there is the head of the serpent in it who was too subtile for our parents in innocency it may be an errour may be handed out to us by holy men and represented to us under faire specious and high pretexts and we our selves want wisedome or knowledge to see to the bottome of it and therfore embrace a shadow for substance an errour for truth 2. Want of stability though they have some knowledge yet they are not fixed and stablished in the truth there is a kind of lubricity and ficklenesse and inconstancie of spirit in men which the Apostle takes notice of and blames in Ephes 4.14 That we henceforth be no more children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse wherby they lie in wait to deceive too many who are of this temper like children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine It is a metaphor taken from a weather-cock which is carried about with every wind it stands this way now but it is because another wind blowes not they are not fixed and stablished in the truth There are many who are fixed and grounded in errour and too many who are unstable and unsetled in the truth which doth not meerely arise from want of knowledge but from want of stability They are of uncertaine and unconstant spirits that spirit which many men have in errour would be a precious spirit if it were joyned with the truth but to be stable in errour is a punishment and to be unsetled in truth is our sinne and yet how many who are fixed in the one and will boast of it I thanke God I am no changling when others are unstable in the truth I have sometimes thought what might be the ground of this inconstancy and instabability of spirit in those who yet are full of good affections And to let goe the naturall grounds which arise from the tempers of nature I have thought of these foure spirituall grounds 1. Want of knowledge they are but yet babes and children in knowledge and therfore may be unsetled according to the measure of knowledge such is the measure of setlednesse and stability of spirit if we knew perfectly we should never change but we know but in part and therfore being imperfect in knowledge we are also imperfect in our stability 2. Want of grace I say degrees of grace not truth and essence of grace this the Apostle sets downe Heb. 13.9 Be not carried with divers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace here was inconstancy in them what was the reason they had grace but were not stablished with grace they wanted such a measure as to stablish their hearts Grace will ballace the most unsetled heart it will fix the most unfixed spirit a little grace will so fix the heart as 1. It shall never entertaine any fundamentall errour 2. Nay he shall never make any errour his choice 3. Nay if he give way to any errour it is still under the notion of truth A little grace will doe this but there is required a greater measure of grace to stablish a man in the truth and to preserve a man that he shall not be led aside with any way of errour 3. Want of comfort may be another reason of instability It may be a man hath walked in these wayes and finds no comfort in them his heart is troubled he can get no peace and because they find not comfort in those wayes they expected they look for it in other wayes It is a sad thing for a soule to be without comfort As the body without the soule is dead so is the soule without comfort that which the soule is to the body comfort is to the soule and therefore men in the want of comfort are apt with the Bee to goe from flower to flower from one opinion to another if God keep them not upon this ground many have fallen to Popery because they could not get comfort upon the principles of our Religion which affords no comfort to them who would reserve their sins And upon the same ground men under troubles and wanting comfort they are apt to run from this opinion to that hoping in all to find comfort to their troubled spirits Like men sick of a Fever they think their disease is in their beds when it is in their bodies they think by shifting of beds to be ridd of their distemper when yet they carry the distemper with them yet some refreshment for present may come with change but certainly it is a great mercy and a wonder of mercy when men have long been in trouble and in want of comfort that God hath kept them and not suffered them to seek for comfort out of Gods way that he hath not suffered them to runne into any way of errour to find comfort that he hath given them patience to wait upon God in the wayes of obedience in his own way And rather to charge themselves then the way if they want comfort and surely the fault is at home either you are formall in your walking or you hold compliancie though you give not entertainment to some corruption or you give way to your own unbeliefe the doubtings and misgivings of your own spirit or God is willing to deny thee comfort for thy further exercise to quicken to humble to put
doctrine or worship that certainly is the rule But to the Word doth God demit us and with the Word we are to consult in all controversies of faith we I say not only private men but Synods Councels and therefore certainly this is the rule whereby opinions ought to be tried c. I will but adde one Argument more Arg. 5. That which is the supreme Judge of controversies and opinions is sure the rule by which we are to try opinions * Davenâ— de jud nor 65. p. Vid. Whit. cont 1. q 5. cap. 8. per â—otum But the Scripture is the supreme Judge of controversies 1. It is full of wisdome and able to judge It is called the Word of wisdome 2. It is full of truth infallibly true It is called the Word of truth 3. It is full of power it is the authority of heaven thus saith the Lord and this authority Mencâ—â—h all disputes this puts an end to all controversies 4. It is the great Law-giver that which gives out all truths to be believed and all commands to be obeyed It hath alone supreme authority to constitute doctrine of faith and worship and therefore supreme authority of determining interpreting and resolving doubts which arise from them nay and God was infinitely wise to fore-see all errours and all doubts that might arise or that should arise and hath furnished the Scriptures with sufficiency to determine to convince to condemn appearing errours Consul Whitak cont 1 q. 5. c. 8. arg 10 1â— c. Quasi nos manâ—averimus taÌ„tâ— ante Prophetis Apostolis ut in libris suis nullâ— testimonia ponereâ—t quibus pars Donati ecclesia Christi esse doceatur Reynolds Confer c. 8 div 1. p. 461 462. It is one reason why our Divines say that no man nor coetus mortalium no company of men Synods Councels that can be supreme Judges of opinions because they are not able to fore-see what errours and doubts may arise yea and even out of their own determinations they determin of things only pro re natâ those doubts and controversies which doe arise in their time but cannot fore-see what may arise afterward but now God he fore-sees all he knew all that would arise and did furnish the Scriptures with sufficiency to determine of all doubts and to resolve of all truths necessary for our salvation I remember a passage to this purpose which learned Reynolds doth produce out of Augustine in his conference with Hart it is this St Augustine making mention how the Donatists hated him for preaching of the truth and confuting their heresie as though saith he we had commanded the Prophets and Apostles who were so long before us that they in their books should set down no testimonies whereby the Donatists might be proved to be the Church of Christ 5. It is that at which we are to enquire and with which we are to * Vbicunque locus ad disputandum constitutus fuerit saciaâ—â—s codices Canonicos praesto esse si quae proferâ—â— possunt ex utraque parte documentâ— post positis caeteâ—is â—â—mâ—â—â—tâ—â— ad inquisitâ—â—â—â— terminum perducamus Aâ—gust consult in all doctrines of faith and worship and not only we but Councels Synods they are to goe to the Word and to the testimonies and their judgment no further valid then as it is founded upon the sure foundation the Word of God And therefore it must needs be the supreme Judge Au â—â—antur deâ—â—eâ—io chartae nostrae proceâ—a in mediuâ— coâ—ex Dei audi Christum dicentem â—uâ—i veritatem â—oquenteâ— Aâ—g and by consequent the only rule whereat we are to enquire in all points of faith and worship Abundance more might be said of this point It is the great controversie which our great Champions have combated with the Papists in and the great truth which they held out in their generations Whitaker Reynolds Davenant in whom you may see more at large And it was not new to them it hath been the constant tenent of all the learned in all ages of the Church a Nolo argumento credas nostrae disputationi Scripturas interrogemus Apostolos interrogemus Prophetas interrogemus Christum interrogemus Amb. Doe not believe the argument and our dispute but let us search the Scriptures enquire of the Apostles aske of the Prophets enquire of Christ let them determine b Non adeo perdite confidens sum ut aufim aliquid affirmare quod sacrae Scriptura silentio praeterit Ego in sola divina Scriptura acquiesco Theod. Theod. I am not so desperately confident that I dare affirm any thing which the holy Scriptures have passed with silence I rest onely in the Word of God It is a devillish spirit to thinke any thing divine which is out of the authority of Scripture We will now come having setled the truth upon the Scripture to answer some Objections one or two only Object 1. That which doth receive divers senses and interpretations cannot be the rule whereby we should judge of opinions but the Scripture doth receive divers senses yea and it self is not able to tell which is the right and therefore it is not the supreme Rule and judge of opinions Answ * Scriptura non varios incertos sensus recipit Ex conditione rei affirmatae aut ex intentione affirmantis sed ex inscitia aut pertinacia detorquentis Daven The divers senses the Scripture receives is not from the minde of the Inditer but from the ignorance of the enquirers nor from the things affirmed but from the darknesse or perversenesse of the searchers I say it is not because the Spirit of God did give the Word ambiguously and doubtfully nor because the things affirmed are dark and doubtfull Consul Whitak Contr. 1. q. 5 c. 7. but because we are ignorant or slothfull or else perverse and wilfull Because the Rule may be bended the Scriptures wrested shall we therefore deny them to be a Rule to be the Scriptures some pervert the Scriptures saith Peter 2 Pet. 3.16 to their owne destruction and yet we know they are the word of life to Salvation The divers senses of Scripture do arise either from our ignorance or our perversenes or our corrupt affections oâ— our sloth that we doe not enquire and search we doe not compare Scripture with Scripture but it doth not arise from the minde and intention of the spirit nor from the nature of the things that are affirmed in it The ambiguity of Scripture * Non infringit judiciariam Scripturae authoritatem sed ostendit necessitatem spiâ—â—tus ilâ—inâ—ntis Daâ— Dicimus verbuÌ„ Dei non â—â—â—ilâ—ere judiciariaÌ„ authoritateÌ„ quia hoâ—â—â—â—nes ineâ—â—o re demeâ—si non sâ—mper inteâ—â—igâ—nt contrasâ—â— judicatum ess◠〈…〉 NoÌ„ liquidâ— percipiunt 〈◊〉 se daâ—â—â—tos â—â—encsententia verbidivâ—â—ni doâ—â—ec câ—ram Christo judice in novissimore statâ—â—niur aperâ—o libro câ—â—â—â—â—â—ertur Daâ—â—â—â—â— It doth not infringe the authority of the
Scripture but declares the necessity of the illumination of the spirit So much for the first objection 2 Obj. Another objection against the Scriptures being judge of opinions is this It is the worke of a judge so to declare his sentence that the one party may see he was in an errour and the other that he is in the right but the Scripture nor the Spirit of God in Scripture doth thus evince truth and convince of errour as to make the parties to know they are in truth or were in errour therefore the Scripture cannot be the judge of opinions Answ It is the worke of a Judge to declare the law to give his sentence declare his judgement and not to convince partyes It will be a hard thing to convince the loser that he is in the wrong Men who are given up to errour blinded with folly and bewitched with selfe-love in love with their owne opinions it is a hard thing to convince such that they aâ—e in an errour And shall we say the Word of God shall lose its judiciary authority because men in errour will not discerne of its judgement 2. Though they will not see now and be convinced yet the time will come that they shall see if not before yet at the greâ—â— day of account all things shall be made evident many that breake the lawes and are guilty of felony or of murther yet will not confesse to a petty Justice that he is guilty but at the Assize he is made evident and then he is convinced of it so however men sew fig-leaves and cover their nakednesse now will not confesse their error yet at the great day of Assize all shall be made evident and their mouthes stopped 3. I say that the Scriptures do sometimes so clearly evince truth and convince of errour that the parties themselves even in this life are convinced of it and cannot gaine-say or stand out against the evidence 4. I say againe if that the light and judgement and authority of the Word will not convince men of errour neither will any authority upon earth doe it * Quae controversiae siniri non possunt ex determinatione verbi divini neque finâ—entur unquamex determinatione cujuscunque authoritatis humane Daâ—en Qui ex scripturarâ—m lata sententia se victum non agnoscit nunquam agnoscet se victum ex sententia alterius judicis cujuscunque Daven Those controversies that cannot be concluded and determined by the judgement of the Word neither can they be determined and ended by any authority upon earth He that doth not acknowledg himselfe conquered by the evidence of Scripture will never acknowledge himselfe overcome by the sentence of any judge upon earth Give me leave to shut up what I have spoken in a word of application and I shall enter upon that enquiry Vse You see I have shewed you two things Who are to examine and by what rule to examine I have charged one upon you as your duty at all times It is the duty of every one to examine c. And I have given you here the rule by which you are to try viz. the Word of God This is the touch-stone It is not men not Councels not Synods much lesse the Pope whose unerring authority the Papists set above Councells But it is the Word of God which is the rule and judg a Theodor. histor Eccles l. 1. c. 7. In epist ad Innocent Epis 90. Inrer Epist Aug. and therefore by this the Councell of Nice both tryed and condemned the Arian Heresy by this the Councell of Carthage of Melevis of Orange tryed and condemned the Pelagian Heresy It is the speech of a heathen Philosopher b Qui ponit legem judicem ponit Deum qui addit hominem addit Bestiam he that makes the law judge makes God judge but he that makes man substitutes a beast instead And he gives this reason c Quia homines optimi distorquentur affectibus lex autem vacua est hujusmodi preturbationibus Arist because the best men are wrested with affections but the law is free of these perturbations If so much is to be given to humane lawes above the judgements of the best of men how much more to the divine the Law of God It hath been my work to clear this to you the Scripture is the rule Oh that now you had wisdome in the tryall you had need of wisdome to search to examine and need of wisdom to determine It is a shame to see how men sit as if these things did not belong to them Some are slothfull and will not enquire like Gallio they care for none of these things I have read of a Story of Henry the fourth of France who asking the Duke of Alva whether he had not observed the eclipses he answered no he had so much he said to doe upon the earth that he had no leisure to look up to heaven and there are many of this spirit who are so taken up and have so much to doe with the businesse of the world that they have no leisure to look up to heaven Some who enquire but sleightly and overtly they aske with Pilate what is truth but doe not take paines to finde it Others again who enquire but with corrupt affections which either bribe the understanding into errour or blinde the understanding that it cannot discern of truth Others that perhaps finde but either fear to own it or turn their backs on it as the young man in the Gospel Pelago se non ita coÌ„missurâ— esset quin quando liberet pedeÌ„ referre posset and you know what the King of Navar is said to speak to Beza that he would lanch no further into the deep then he might come safe to shore Men look upon truth as an ignis fatuus that leads them into boggs most men would entertain truth as a servant but few as a King they would own so much as might be serviceable to them but they will not own any more not so much as may master them so long as they may live on truth they like it but cannot away with it when it comes to live on them nay and live on the best of their comforts to live on their estates wives children possessions nay liberty and life c. this is hard And he that sees not truth his honour truth his riches truth his friends truth his liberty life that man will never own truth alone In the disquisition of truth in the enquiring after truth in these daies beware of a double spirit beware there be not treachery in thee beware of a double spirit beware of being byassed with corrupt affections c. Aske the way to Sion with your faces thitherward that is with resolution to goe it when it is revealed be not only willing to know but stand resolved to doe and when God sees you willing to doe he will make you able to know And so much shall serve by way
ingage a man to doe and to doe out of conscientious respects so will it check conscience if he doe not Conscience walks according to it's light both in checks and comforts when conscience is perswaded of this or that to be a truth if he doe not walk answerable to it it will check him for it if conscience be not a guide it will be a scourge if not directive it will be afflictive it will charge him and check him if he have not walked answerable And this is a fearfull condition that such a man is in he sins in doing because he doth for an errour and he is tormented for not doing because he apprehends it a truth Indeed a man is not damned for following the dictates of conscience for this he ought to doe but he is damned for following an erroneous conscience we ought to follow the dictates of conscience but we ought to get conscience rightly enformed then And what need there is of that you see here because an erroneous conscience will ingage men to doe as well as an enlightened conscience and will punish and check him if he doe not as well as a conscience enlightned 6. As errour will ingage a man to doe so it will ingage a man to suffer too I know nothing that a man may doe or suffer for a truth but he may doe and suffer for an errour under the notion of truth 1. A man may suffer in his good name he may be content to be reproached defamed calumned and may binde all these reproaches as a crown about his head with Job and wear them as his crown and glory 2. He may suffer in his goods and be content rather to part with all then his opinion and when he hath done as a man would say for a truth so may he for an errour which he apprehends truth I thank God I had any thing to lose for it its worth all I had and much more 3. He may suffer in his body imprisonment and what other things may be inflicted on the body even the highest punishment of all death it self and all this for an errour As God hath Martyrs for truth so hath the devil Martyrs for errour what heresie but hath been sealed up by the death of some of the maintainers The Arians who denied the Deity of Christ they suffer'd nay which is wonder some of them would suffer for Christ as a Saviour though they denied Christ to be God The like I might say of the Nestorians Manichees and others What need we goe farther Will not the Papists themselves suffer death for their Catholike Cause Nay which is yet more stupendious a man may not only die but he may die comfortably in and for an errour he may die rejoycing as if he died for a truth though he die in a delusion And that 's the next 7. It 's possible for a man to have quiet of conscience and comfort of conscience when he doth doe or suffer for an errour the more uniformly he walks the more true and faithfull he is to his principles still the more comfort he findes he hath this comfort of his sincerity or honesty of heart that he hath been true to his light though that light be but darknesse A man may have comfort in an errour no true comfort from an errour Solomon had the greatest revelations when he was at Gibeah and where was that but at a high place but he had it not from Gibeah A man may have comfort in an errour but not from an errour I grant false notions may afford comfort But 1. Either false comfort a painted no reall comfort 2. Or the comfort is but the comfort of his naturall conscience in being true to his opinion not the comfort of God The Papists may finde some comfort in their way but either it is a deluded comfort or the comfort which ariseth from being honest to a delusion There is no question but there is fear and comfort in the Turkish Religion when they do not walk according to their principles received they may be troubled and when they doe possibly they may have comfort The ground of this is this because they walk answerable to their principles and then nothing within will check a man all is at quiet within this is but the quiet of a naturall conscience Naturall conscience will tell them there is a God and that this God is to be worshipped but it cannot direct the way now being either instructed or brought up and educated in this or that way he takes it for a truth though perhaps it be an errour and walking answerablâ— to it for want of further light his conscience is quiet he hath comfort of those principles he hath when he hath been true to them yet this is but false comfort Certainly if you have any comfort of God It is either 1. Comfort in an errour but not from an errour or it is comfort from your graces not from your errour Your graces may afford you comfort viz. your sincerity but your errour affords none 2. Many errours that may have some mixtures of truth in them and then your comfâ—rt is not from the errour but from truth mingled with it A man perhaps hath been in some trouble and his trouble arose from want of an evidence of his sincerity now it may be there is some opinions abroad which a man may close withall as persecuted truths though they are but censured condemned errours and in this act he gets comfort perhaps he hath the evidence of his sincerity that he is willing to close with a persecuted truth which may afford some comfort though the thing closed withall be an errour And I beleeve that many doe close with opinions upon this ground as persecuted truths and thereby evidence their sincerity which perhaps if they should not they would be troubled and could not be able to doe Indeed it were an honourable and desirable thing to suffer upon good grounds suffering for Christ is desirable he who knows the emptinesse of these things and what these things are in comparison of eternity would be glad and rejoyce to part with any thing for Christ. Indeed it is not too dear to purchase and maintain a truth with the hazzard and losse of all yet who would be at this cost for an errour There is none that are godly but would be content to maintain a truth and suffer truth to live upon them upon their estates comforts c. but who would doe this for an errour I only suggest this to you it may be you take in an opinion you receive it for a truth But take heed you be not deceived It may be that opinion may cost you your estate your liberty c. and therefore you had best consider well before you entertain lest you be at this cost to maintain an errour in steed of upholding a truth All is not too good to part withall for a truth but nothing but is too good to give
to be the rule of life I come to the second maxime What ever may be collected by way of manifest consequence Max. 2 or made out by evident deductions from the Word is certainly true This is the second maxime Morton Apol. Cat. p 2. l. 5. c 9 Though a Doctrin asserted be not in totidem verbis as we say expressed in Scripture yet if it may bee made out of Scripture by manifest and undeniable consequence this is certainly a truth there are many precious truths which are not yet in distinct words expressed in the Scripture For example if a man hold forth this doctrine that it is possible for a man to come to the knowledge of his renovation or his own condition This is a truth but where do we finde it in these distinct words in Scripture and yet it may be soundly collected from such Scriptures as these Examine prove try your selves know you not your own selves All which imply that upon tryall a man may be able to come to the knowledge of himself and the like may be said of many other points which though in terminis are not contain'd in Scripture yet may be made out by manifest consequence and evident deduction and therefore are truths So that I say what ever may be made out of the Word by evident deduction is to be received as a truth But here I must lay down three Cautions The place of Scripture or that Word from whence the deductions Cau. 1 are made must not be mistaken The Pharisees read in Scripture that Christ should be a King and thence they made these deductions that certainly Jesus was not the Christ here was a mistake of the place The Disciples had read in the Law that Christ should live for ever and thence they made these deductions that Christ should not die We have read in the Law that Christ shall live for ever how saiest thou then that thou must die here was a mistake of the place So the Apostles they preached Christian liberty and had said that Christ had purchased and instated all believers into a blessed freedome which they were to maintain against any who went about to defraud them of it But now if they or others should take this Christian freedom to consist in exemption from all laws both of God and man here were a great mistake farre from the Apostles thoughts and those deductions are a building without a foundation and cannot stand Cau. 2 2. The deductions must be rightly gathered they must naturally arise from the Scripture There are many false deductions made and I may say so many errours founded upon the Word of truth Take an instance or two you have here a Scripture Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name c. when a man shall gather from thence that the Saints may be seduced and carried away with damnable errours this is a false deduction the 24. verse doth plainly shew us that where it is said They should deceive if it were possible the very elect by which is implyed the elect cannot be deceived So we have another Scripture where it is said Keep me from presumptuous sins and now when from this a man shall gather such a doctrine as this that the Saints may sin presumptuously this is a false collection and contrary to that Scripture in Rom. 6.14 Sinne shall not raign in you for you are not under the Law but grace c. The like may be said of that Scripture Let him that stands take heed lest he fall when a man shall inferre thence that the Saints may fall totally and finally this is a false inference and contrary to the expresse Word of God and his own Covenant which is Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant and I will never depart from you from doing you good but I will put my fear in your heart you shall never depart from me We read also of such a Scripture as this You would not come to mee that you might have life when a man shall draw such conclusions as these from it that it is in the power of man of himself to come over to Christ it is a false deduction So we read such an expression as this Work out your salvation with fear and trembling and when thence we shall gather that no man can be assured of his condition this is a false deduction Many more might be named but these shall suffice by which you see what need we have of adding this caution viz. That the deductions be rightly gathered we will come to the third 3. Those Deductions they must agree with the harmony of Cau. 3 Scripture it may be there may be deductions made and those rightly gathered nay and the place be rightly understood too and yet those deductions may be erroneous Nihil serè in Scripturis obscurū est quod nō alibi planissimè dictum reperiatur Au. Scriptura eam studiosè perscrutantibus est sui interpres Mort. Ap. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 10 c. because they agree not with the harmony of Scripture Truth is not ever found by one place what is spoken in one place may be repealed in another and therefore we must consult with the harmony see the agreement how one place doth bear witnesse to another though you look upon some places and see them disagreeing yet there is a sweet harmony and agreement in all like Nathan and Bathsheba they speak the same thing assure your self it is none of the least of the noble works of the Ministers of Christ to study the harmony of Scripture and see how they doe mutually give hands and bear witnesse one to another it is the fault of some the better to strengthen their opinions to set one Scripture at difference with another it is our work to search the agreement and discover how in their disagreements they are yet serviceable one to another and to the purpose of God in the saving them that doe believe It was Pauls course you see in his whole Epistle to the Hebrews Whit. cont 1. q 5. c 9. p. 361. 〈◊〉 medijs inveniendi Scripturae sensum not to decry the old Testament which indeed was but the Gospel vailed but to take the vail off which was upon those places and upon their eyes in the reading of them as he tells them and shewd them that all this was but Christ in figure all this was but Christ in type they were but the figure of those things that were to come I am confident that the want of study and endeavour to seek to preserve the harmony of Scriptures is the great ground of many errours among us those deductions are not safe which overthrow the harmony and agreement of Scriptures the Word of God And those are certainly true with which the whole harmony of Scripture doth agree and so much for the third Caution and second particular Max. 3 What ever may be made evident to be
saith 2 Cor. 13.10 and Chap. 10.8 2 Cor. 13.10 God hath given us this power for edification not for destruction the end of Church-Ordinances and administrations are not so much to punish sin as to reform the sinner not to punish mens evil as to make them good Zanch. de discip Eccles as Zanchy sets it down excellently in his Tractate de discip Eccles where he would shew the difference between the end of civil and ecclesiasticall or Church censure the end of this last is not the punishment of sin but the salvation of the sinner the edification of the Church the glory of God But the scope of the other is to punish sin it self neither doth it look to the salvation or damnation of the offender nay though the sinner repent yet the Magistrate is not to spare but to punish him for his offence committed But now the Church doth not punish though the person have sin'd unlesse he be obstinate and impenitent nor is her punishment for death but life and salvation and upon repentance the sinner is again received into the bosome of the Church So that you see here is a vast difference between the one and the other 4. Let me further adde to this that as these outward means are unsutable so they are unserviceable and insufficient to these ends for which they are pretended to be used insteed of humbling men and reforming men they provoke men harden men and make them more averse to reformation thus God blasts those means which are not of his own ordination the spirit will only work with his own tools he will only concurre with his own means and Ordinances and seeing these are not so it can never be expected that such means which are of a different kinde from the spirituall kingdome of Christ should ever produce and bring forth such effects as are proper only to that heavenly kingdome carnall flâ—shly means cannot produce and bring about divine and spirituall ends it is beyond their sphear out of their power they were never anointed of God to those ends nor can they ever be serviceable to produce them So that we shall willingly and cheerfully agree with any in this Discplina ecâ—lesiastica nihil statuit in hominum bona jura dignitates fortunas sed poena quae clavium potestate infligitur spiritualiâ— est que hominem internum sp rituale ejus statuÌ„ concernit Apol. Ius magist circa sacra c Exam. 4. pag. 109. Mat. 18 1â— that the Church hath no power over the bodies the estates the rights priviledges honours and dignities of men Nor upon any offence what ever doth their power extend to the punishing limiting or depriving them in any of these But now though these are not the wayes and weapons of the Church yet she hath waies she hath weapons and these warranted nay ordained of God for these ends viz. to suppresse errour and reduce erroneous persons And these Church means we will comprize under these three generall heads Some are Fraternall Pastorall Judiciall We will begin with the first viz. 1. The fraternall or brotherly means and that is set down in Mat. 18.15 Moreover if thy brother trespasse against thee go and tel him his fault between thee him alone where by trespassing is not meant personall and civil injuries as some have thought and I shall shew anon but spiritual scandals and offences and those not only such as are scandals in life but such also as are scandals in opinion unlesse you will say a mans life is a scandall but his doctrine be it what it will is not scandalous to us So that this is the first way to deal with an erroneous person we are to go to him if we take offence at his doctrine tell him of his errour convince him of it exhort him from it if this will not doe rebuke him and reprove him for it this we are commanded to doe to exhort one another and admonish one another c. and if we neglect this duty we are said to hate our brother as God interprets it Levit. 19.17 Lev 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not suffer sin upon him which holds true in errour in opinion as well as sinne in conversation And this is one way which God hath ordained to deal with erroneous persons which hath been very successefull to turn many an one from the errour of this way as might be evidenced in many examples both of Primitive and later times if it were needfull But we wâ—ll come to the second 2. A second kinde of means which God hath set up in the Church for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons is Pastorall God hath set up warranted and inabled a Ministery for this end to publish the doctrine of truth and to detect discover discountenance and decry erroneous doctrine and opinions they are to watch over your souls and if they see any root of bitternesse to arise any corrupt doctrine to break forth to set themselves against it to discâ—ver it to you warn you of it and if any of their people are in danger to be drawn away to labour to settle them and establish them in the truth if any are carried away to labour to reduce them by discovering their errour convincing them of it admonishing exhorting rebuking charging them in a Pastorall way and to wait with all patience if God will please to reclaim them And this you see was the Apostles injunction and their practice as you may gather 1 Tim. 1.2 3. 1 Tim. 1.2 3. 1 Tim. 4.11 1 Tim. 4.11 and especially 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine So 2 Tim. 2.24 25. 2 Tim. 2.24 25. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive at his will I will only adde another Tit. 1.9 10 11. Holding fast the faithfull word 1 Tim. 4.1 2 6 11. 1 Thess 5.14 as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gain-sayers for there are many unruly vain talkers whose mouths must be stopped Jud. 13. â—it 1.9 10 11. who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake So that you see another way which also hath been found to be very succesfull and efficacious to suppresse errour to reduce the erroneous to stablish the weak to confirm the strong in the truth of Christ There is a third and that is the
and not Excommunication they finde it not in the first institution of this ordinance Matth. 18.17 nor doe they think Satan a fiâ— instrument to bring about those holy ends for which this ordinance was instituted And how ever Satan may doe much good to the souls of Gods people against his will occasionally and accidentally by his buffetings and temptations yet it sounds harsh to them that God should set up so solemn and holy an ordinance as this is to continue in the Church while Christ hath a Church on earth wherein Satan is so farre honoured as to be serviceable and instrumentall in the saving of soules c. 2. Some will have this delivering up to Satan of the formality of the sentence urging the Apostles phrase of speech in the 1 Cor. 5. to import so much to us 3. Some again assert it to be a further and more dreadfull degree of this censure 4. And others say it is not of the formality of the censure but a fruit and consequent of it Now if it be the first of these viz. an act of apostolicall power as many conceive who yet hold up this ordinance of Excommunication yea and from that place also 1 Cor. 5.2 7 13. then did it die with the Apostles and we have nothing to doe with it It is utterly inimitable and impracticable by ordinary Elders and officers And if it be the second viz. That this delivering up to Satan be the formality of Excommunication then it will follow when there is not such a delivering up to Satan there is no Excommunication which I thinke few will say And the condition of persons not only censured but censuring doth prevail much with me not to thinke and if it be the third viz. a further degree of the censure then either a degree prudentially to be annexed according to the atrocity and heinousnesse of the fact of which I see not any warrant or it is a degree necessarily to be added and if so then is it inseparable from the censure nor can the censure be dispenced without it and so it is of the formality of it which to me is not so evident But if this delivering up to Satan be the consequent and fruit of the censure as the fourth opinion saith and many upon good grounds doe chuse rather to affirm then the controversie will be at an end in this particular For those brethren of the Congregationall way do affirm That when a Synod met together in the Name of Christ Burrough Heart division p. 44. have in the authority of Christ solemnly judged condemned and censured such an erring Church to be such an one as hath no right to any Church-ordinance nor is to have any communion with the Churches of Christ if this judgement be right then such a Congregation is thereby put out of the kingdome of Christ and consequently is put under the power and kingdom of Satan And thus I have done with the answer to the Objections and with that have at length finished this discourse of Church power as relating to this Question The suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons Yet give me leave before I shut up this work in regard it is a better work to unite then to divide to compound differences then to heighten and increase them to lay down the grants of our brethren of the Congregationall-way unto this Question In which we shall tell you what materials they will afford us to the making up of this Fabrick And first though they expressely say that every particular Congregation is a Church of Christ and hath right to decide it's own controversies and to conclude it 's own differences instancing in the Church of Antioch whose endeavours among themselves to end their difference and conclude the controversie which arose â— Hâ—â—rt divisions p. 43. before ever they purposed to goe to Jerusalem doth clearly demonstrate that they had right though they wanted power yet they affirm that such a Church is to render an account to other Churches of Christ of their actions And this is not arbitrary that they may or may not doe it but they are bound in conscience to it as a duty they ow to God and to their sister-Churches Ibid. 2. They grant that a consociation of Churches in Synods consisting of Ministers and Elders is a precious ordinance of Jesus Christ for the preserving of the Churches against errours schisms and scandals 3. They grant that in case a particular Church or Congregation either want light or unity among themselves that they are not able to determine and conclude their own controversies Cotton Keys p. 48 either they are too difficult by reason of want of light or too hard for want of love or by reason of division among themselves that then it is their duty to repair unto a Synod or consociation of Churches for their help and assistance to the determining of their doubts and controversies And this they conclude upon these two grounds or reasons 1. The want of power in such a Church to passe a binding sentence Where errour or scandall is maintained by a faâ—tion the promise of binding and loosing made to the Church Ecclesia errans vel liâ—igans noÌ„ ligat is not given to the Church when it is leavened with errour and variance It is a maxime The censure of an erring or disagreeing Church doth not binde it is required a Church should agree and agree in Christs name that is in the truth Matth. 18.19 20. otherwise their censure is of no power 3. They conclude this from the patern in Act. 15. which patern clearly shews to whom the power and authority is committed when there groweth offence and difference in a Church even to a consociation of Churches c. 4. They grant these Synods thus conveened have power further then to counsell an erring Church they have a power from Christ to admonish men or Churches in his name Cotton K ys p. 53. when they see a Church to walk in any way of errour and their admonitions are more then brotherly perswasions for they carry with them the authority of Jesus Christ and that a Church fallen into errour and offence is subject both to the admonitions of other Churches and to the determinations and judiciall sentence of a Synod for direction in a way of truth and peace And this say they ariseth from that was spokâ—n before The sentence of an erring nor of a disagreeing Church doth binde and therefore in case a Church fail in either viz. truth or peace a Synod is the first subject of power and such a Chuâ—ch doth fall under the censure of a Synod 5. They grant that if there be cause given either of errour or of scandall A Synod hath power in the name of Christ to declare such Churches to be subverters of the faith Hâ—art divisions p. 43. or scandalous and offensive to shame them to all Sister and neighbour Churches 6. They grant that