A FULL DISCOVERY AND CONFUTATION Of the wicked and damnable Doctrines of the Quakers As also a plain Vindication and confirmation of sundry fundamental points of the Christian Religion denyed or corrupted by the enemies of the Truth in these Times Published for the benefit of such weak Christians who are not so able to discover and oppugne the dangerous doctrines of subtil Seducers when coloured over with fair words and pretences and so are more apt to be taken in their snares Whereunto is annexed an excellent Discourse proving that singing of Psalmes is not only lawful but an Ordinance of God By JONATHAN CLAPHAM a servant of Christ in the work and labour of the Gospel at Wramplingham in Norff. 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they might be damned c. LONDON Printed by T. R. E.M. for Adonirem Byfield at the Bible in Popes-head Alley near Lumbard-street 1656. The general heads of the following TREATISE SEct. 1. The Quakers proved enemies to the holy Scriptures Sect. 2. The Quakers deny Christ come in the flesh also his Death Resurrection c. Sect. 3. The Quakers deny the doctrine of the Trinity Sect. 4 The Quakers hold equality with God and the soul to be one being with God Sect. 5. The Quakers corrupt the doctrine of Justification Sect. 6. The Quakers deny the Resurrection of the body the last Judgement Heaven and Hell Sect. 7. The Quakers are enemies to all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ Sect. 8. The Quakers pretend to miracles Sect. 9. The Quakers are no truly mortified persons notwithstanding their pretences thereunto and how Popish Monks have out-stripped them therein Sect. 10. The Quakers doctrine tendeth not to destroy sin though they raile against sin and how they destroy the true doctrine of Sanctification Sect. 11. The Quakers he common sink of all the Heresies of our times and a parallel betwixt them and former hereticks in many particulars Sect. 12. The Quakers enemies to all civility and good manners Sect. 13. The Conclusion by way of admonition to Christians to beware of the heresies of the Times and in particular to avoid the Quakers as pernitious enemies to the Christian Religion and to the souls of men and to have no communion with them TO HIS HIGHNESSE The Lord Protector Of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereof SIR IT is a question much controverted in these times whether Jesus Christ besides his spiritual Kingdom in his Chrurches and in the hearts of his people is to have an outward Political Kingdom in the world and there are not a few of godly wise and sober Christians that do conclude affirmatively for the same and that as it seems to me upon undeniable authorities from the holy Scriptures But this being granted it will prove a matter of no lesse difficulty to determine by whom this kingdome shall be administred whether by our Lord Jesus himself in person residing here upon earth or by his Delegates or officers to whom he shall commit the rule and government under himself The former hath yet received small entertainment in my heart as seeing little clear Scripture evidence for it whatever others may see but rather it seeming to clash with some other weighty doctrines of the faith more clearly grounded on the Word and to be attended with such inconveniences as the Authours of this opinion know not well how to remove But for the latter it need not seem so incredible for seeing Jesus Christ hath already so long exercised his spiritual Kingdome and regiment in his Churches by Officers and Delegates thereunto appointed by himself why should it then seem strange to us if his outward political Kingdome should be administred in like manner and as I judge this seemes to have far clearer testimony from the Scripture then the former But are not we in a great strait yet to finde out who are these Officers or Delegates to whom Jesus Christ hath committed the government of this outward Political Kingdome in the world whether to his Churches and Saints under that reduplication as such or to the Civil Magistrate I am not unwilling to acknowledge my own mistake and possibly it may be the mistake of some honest hearts who are zealous now against the present powers upon this account that I have sometimes inclined to the former although I never had thoughts of acting against any established Government for to bring about my conceptions in such things sure it is most dangerous and unwarrantable for private persons to do so The ground of my mistake was an assertion received amongst many wise and holy men and therefore the lesse questioned by me that the Magistrate was no Officer of Jesus Christ as Mediatour whereupon I concluded seeing that Jesus Christ as Mediatour should have an outward Political Kingdom upon earth and the Magistrate as such was no Officer in that Kingdome that there must be some other hands into which this power and Dominion must be committed and who then might lay better Scripture claim to it then the persons above named But I do retract my errour in that particular for I dare not say with the Papists and Quakers I am infallible and cannot erre and do acknowledge the Magistrate to be an Officer of Jesus Christ as Mediatour and therefore in this external Political Kingdom of Christ the rule doth belong to him and not to the Saints as Saints though withal I doubt not but the Lord Jesus will in these last dayes raise up such to be Magistrates as shall be Saints and nursing fathers to his Churches governing more for the honour of Christ and for the welfare and benefit of his Churches then formerly and then shall the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Saints That which induced me to be of this judgement for the Magistrate to be an Officer of Jesus Christ in this outward Political kingdom though he is no Officer in the spiritual Kingdom of his Church as the Erastians contend was the serious consideration of such Scriptures as these Prov. 8.15 16. Mat. 28.18 Isa 49.13 Psalme 2.8 10 11 12. Psalme 72.10 11. and indeed Christ having undertaken the work of mans redemption the Father hath delivered up the whole creation unto him in order to his managing of that work and therefore must Magistracy belong to him as Mediatour Rom. 14.9 Luke 10.22 John 3.15 Eph. 1.20 21 22. It were a work of no great difficulty to answer the arguments brought to the contrary and is already done by some Now this being granted as it doth strongly confirme the title of the Magistrate to his rule and government against all that would under any pretext challenge it from him So it may seriously minde him to consider from whom he hath received his power and authority and to whom he must one day be acountable
sufficiently convince God would have us to heed his word more and try the spirits by that and the grosse and palpable blindnesse of such as want the direction of the Scriptures may shew God is not pleased to use this way of immediate revelations now nor indeed is it the work of God holy Spirit to discover things to us now immediately having already made a full discovery of them in the Scriptures but to open our eyes to see the wonderful things of his Law to apprehend those discoveries of God made in his word and to sanctifie our hearts so as they may close with those truths revealed and rellish them and to remove the natural enmity that is in as to the things of God 3. It hath pleased the Lord of his infinite goodnesse to give his holy Scriptures the Word of God for so now I will call them whether the Quakers will or no that this may be a direction and rule to us of faith and obedience how we are to believe in God and worship and serve him and to direct us to eternal salvation this is a special pledge of Gods love to us though the enemies of truth will not acknowledge it The Lord hath not done so to all Nations neither have the heathen knowledge of his Laws Psalme 147 19 20. and the end of writing them was that we might be directed in our faith and obedience John 20 last These things are written that ye might beleeve c. we are to try the spirits now by them whether they be of God as the noble Bereans did Acts 17.11 we are to go to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 to search the Scriptures John 5.39 or otherwise we shall be necessarily exposed to errour Matth. 22.29 They are now a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our steps Psal 119.105 and through the words of Gods lips we may be kept from the path of the destroyer Psal 17.4 in a word they are able to make wise to salvation to furnish to all good works they are profitable for doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteousnesse c. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. The Lord accompanying them with the blessing and efficacy of his Spirit And let not any ignorantly pretend it is a disgrace to the Spirit to be tried and regulated by an outward rule for gold may be tryed by a touchstone why may not any doctrine or revelation or practice now though pretended to come from the Spirit be tried by the Scriptures which we are more sure came from the Spirit of God they being a surer word of prophecy then any voice we can heare spoken from heaven 2 Pet. 1.18 19. 4. Now let the weakest Reader if he be not wilfully blinded judg whether these people be not extreamly ingrateful to God for his goodnesse in giving the Scriptures to deny this principal use and end of the Scriptures and whether hereby they declare not themselves enemies thereunto I might shew other uses and ends of the Scriptures that they subvert but this may suffice for this second particular to prove the charge that the Quakers be enemies to the holy Scriptures III. They make Scriptures to be but a declaration of the Saints condition an expression frequently to be found in their writings insinuating thereby as if they belonged not to us now Burroughs p. 30 Glory from North. p. 8 9. but concerned the Saints only in former times for so much its clear they intend by comparing this with the former particular they are the declaration of the Saints conditions in former times but they are no rule of faith and life to us what do they then concern us what need we regard them what benefit have we by them A most unworthy expression when God hath written to us the great things of his word and we account them a strange thing Hosea 8.12 as if they did not at all concern us and the Lord had not spoken those things to us but to others But as it delares their enmity against the Scriptures so is it a very false assertion There be some part of the Scriptures that do more concern us now in these last dayes of the world then they did the Saints in former times as many Prophetick Scriptures in Dauid and the Revelations and for other Scriptures the Apostle faith what ever was written was written for our learning Rom. 15.4 and for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world be come 1 Cor 10.6 11. The example of Christ and his Apostles teaches us to make use of the whole Wood of God they frequently cited the writings of Moses and the Prophets in the book of the Psalmes applying them to that generation why may not we then apply the same as also the writings of the New Testament for our benefit In Heb. 13.5 The Apostle applies that promise made to Joshuah to the beleeving Hebrews I will not have thee nor forsake thee See 1 Cor. 7.1 where the Apostle applies the promises made by the Prophet Jer 31.1 to the Corinthians and presses them to duty from thence and indeed to what end are they written down and by the gracious providence of the Lord preserved to this day but for our use and benefit it 's needlesse to adde more here that which was spoken in the former particular will also clear this IV. They call the Scriptures reproachfully a letter a dead letter c. as may be seen in their writings frequently which is but a piece of Popish Rhetorick for this hath been the language of Papists before them who have called them a dead letter divinity of ink and paper with many more such opprobrious tearms But whether we should beleeve Papists and Quakers in vilifying the Scriptures or credit the holy penmen their commendation of them judge ye David saith The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimonies of the Lord are sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the Commandments of the Lord are pure enlightning the eyes c. and Psalme 119.50 Thy word hath quickened me The Apostle James 1.18 saith he begot us with the word of truth Paul saith faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's not said by the personal word Jesus Christ but by the word that is preached by men not that we exclude the co-operation of Gods Spirit with preaching for we are workers together with God 2 Cor. 6.1 but that the word written and preached might have it's due place and commendation being mighty through God the power of God to salvation and therefore no dead letter It is a grosse perverting of that Scripture 2 Cor. 3.6 to alledge it for to prove the Scriptures to be a dead letter for the Apostle there compares the doctrine or ministration of the Law and the old Covenant with the ministration of the Gospel Covenant disputing against such as commended the
there is the vegetative sensitive and rational faculties and yet there are not three souls in man but one why should it seem then a contradiction to believe three persons to subsist in one only God Now let the Reader from hence see what impudence it is in these Quakers to call this doctrine a lie and how dangerously they erre in denying the Trinity what is this but to deny the true God who hath manifested himself thus to be one in three as before they denied the Man Christ and were proved enemies to the Scriptures this errour tends to ouerthrow all faith and Religion and is pernicious to mens salvation for we must believe in God as he reveals himself in his Word and no otherwise and worship and serve him accordingly if we will be saved It was hatched by the enemies of truth it hath been defended on purpose to overthrow the personal Deity of Christ whereby the infinite value of his merits is taken away and to undermine the personality of the Spirit which is so fully evidenced by the divine attributes appropriated to him in Scripture and therefore have the purest Churches of Christ ever disclaimed communion with such as deny the doctrine of the Trinity accounting them subverters of the fundamentals of Religion And thus for this third particular SECT IV. The Quakers hold they are equal with God and that the soul is one being with God THere is nothing may more plainly evidence to the weakest and most ignorant that this wicked Sect is of the Devil the Prince of darknesse what ever they boast of the light of Christ then this wicked Tenet that they dare maintain equality with God and the soul to be one being with God or a part of God as the Manichees of old and Familists have done This doctrine the Devil sought to instil into our first parents at the beginning ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Gen 3.5 What Christian spirit that apprehends the infinite Majesty and holinesse of God and its own basenesse and vilesse but will abhor the very mention of this opinion yet is this maintained and defended by this generation of men In their book called Sauls errand to Damascus is mention made that it was attested at a quarter Sessions at Lancaster that some of them affirmed themselves to be equal with God and that afterwards the same thing was acknowledged before many witnesse nor do they deny this publick evidence was given against them though they would shuffle about it while they covertly plead for the same thing p. 2 5 6. 10. Hubberthorn in his book against Sherlock p. 30. doth most ignorantly and blasphemously alledge that place for this Phil. 2.5 6. Let this minde be in you which also was in Christ who being in the forme of God thought it no robery to be equal with God where the Reader may see how he imitates Satan in corrupting the Scriptures both by leaving out the following words which must necessarily be known before the minde of the Apostle be understood viz. but made himself of no reputation took on him the forme of a servant humbled himself c. the sentence is not compleat without taking in these words and also perverting the scope and drift of the Apostle in that place who is pressing humility ver 3. and urging it from Christs example who though equal with God yet humbled himself it is far of from the Apostles mind there to perswade us to beleeve we are equal with God he is pressing humility they that desire to see fuller evidence for their holding equality with God may see Sword drawn p. 3 and also the many testimonies which the Ministers of New-castle bring for it in their first book p. 3 4. That they hold the soule to be one being with God or a part of God See also testimony for it in the book last cited p. 6. and Sword drawn p. 3 4. Hubberthorne in the book before named p. 29. saith there 's no Scripture which speaks of an humane soul then it seems the soul or spirit in man which the Scripture speaks so much of must either be God himself or the Devil One of them living in these parts did in discourse with my self argue as strongly as he could for the soul to be one being with God and though he did afterward give me the lie in the publick Assembly for reporting it of him yet I have now eight several witnesses of credit to prove the same thing and manifest him to be the liar besides what arguments passed betwixt us which clearly evidenc he pleaded for it Another of them argued with me that the soul after its departure out of the body which say they rots in the grave and never rises again is taken up into God and is one being with him urging that Scripture for it God shall be all in all For confutation of these things I need not say much they are so grosse and horrible Concerning the first Equality with God let but the Reader peruse these Scriptures Isa 40. v. 12 almost to the end of the chapter where the Lord makes a challenge twice repeated v. 18 25. To whom will ye liken me or shall I be equal saith the holy one and in the other verses sets forth his Greatnesse and Majesty he measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meateth out heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in a ballance c. The Nations are as the drop of a bucket to him c. All Nations are before him as nothing yea lesse then nothing and vanity He sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grasse-hoppers He bringeth Princes to nothing c. See much more to the same purpose there Read also Job 38.39.40 all the three chapters and this opinion will be sufficiently confuted Oh what arrogance is this for poor wormes to make comparison with the Infinite Eternal Almighty Glorious God But perhaps they will say they equal not self nor the flesh unto God that is to perish but the spirit or soul which is one being with or a part of the divine essence like some in these times which have made reason to be God I shall speak something therefore for the confutation of this 1. The Scriptures speak of the soul or spirit of man to be a created thing made in time Isa 57.16 Zach. 12.1 Psal 33.15 and can this be one being with the eternal uncreated God 2. Many Scriptures speak of the sinfulnesse of the soul Micah 6.9 Lev. 4.2 Ezek. 18.20 James 4.5 2 Cor. 7.1 and can a sinful polluted creature be one being with the holy God 3. Many Scriptures speak of the destruction and death of the soul its perishing in hell Mar. 10.28 Mat. 16.26 Prov. 4 32. and can that soule that perishes in hell be a part of the being of God 4. The Scripture distinguishes betwixt Gods Spirit and ours Rom. 8.16
David prays Open mine eyes that I may understand the wonderful things of thy Law give me understanding that I may keep thy precepts would not the Quakers correct David here and say why David look to the light within thee and that is sufficient what needest thou pray for more so Paul Eph. 1.17 18. prays for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the Ephesians though they had already the light in them and the outward preaching of the Gospel our doctrine therefore is more agreeable to the Scriptures then the Quakers doctrine we teach besides the light in the conscience which condemns grosse sins which we would not have men sin against but to study to keep a good conscience void of offence there is a necessity of the light of the Scriptures and the preaching of the Word to discover such things as the conscience cannot discover and of the sanctifying illumination of Gods Spirit also to open our blind eyes to see those discoveries and his grace to heal the enmity of our hearts that we may close with them did the Quakers believe the conversion and sanctification of the soul to be such a great work as we do they would see a necessity of an higher principle to produce it then this common light in all men Reader thou mayst sufficiently see what corrupters of the truth the Quakers be seeing in this main doctrine which is the sum of all their teaching they erre so grosly and are plain Papists and Pelagians II. The Quakers destroy the true doctrine of Sanctification in that they make it to consist in a few outward observances of casting off ribbons not putting off the hat vsing the expressions of thou yea nay c. as the Pharisees formerly placed holinesse in washing cups hands c. and the furthest they go is but to cry down grosse sinnes as pride drunkennesse covetousnesse c. whilest in the mean time they speak nothing of a work of regeneration and renovation in the heart for they teach there 's enough in men as they come into the world if they heed that and as concerning inward mortification of the seeds of evil in the heart and a spiritual work of God upon the soul in turning the whole frame of it to God to center in him again how silent are they in these great things did they look upon these as necessary they durst not proudly boast they are perfect and absolutely free from the being of sin but even as the Papists who say they are free from the being of sin and for that end deny concupiscence in the regenerate to be sin so must the Quakers look upon these things as nothing if they will defend their perfection But we on the contrary maintain the great work of Sanctification begins chiefly in the heart in creating a new heart infusing a new spirit Ezek. 36.26 27. which men have not as they come into the world at the first birth but at the second birth in making the tree good and then the fruit will be good afterwards Mat. 12.33 III. They destroy the proper end of Sanctification the end of God in Sanctifying his people is not that by setting up a righteousnesse in them they might thereby be justified before God for their justification stands in Gods free remitting of their sins and imputing to them the obedience and satisfaction of Christ their Surety wrought in his person for them as was before shewed in the Section of Justification but that being reconciled to God through Christ their natures being sanctified and the image of God repaired in them they might be fit to glorifie God and to enjoy communion with him for ever to make them fit for glory for without holinesse no man can see God Heb. 12.14 But now the Quakers make the great end of God in sanctifying his people and infusing righteousnesse into them to be that they might be justified before God and therefore ignorantly confound justification mortification and sanctification together see Nailer love to the lost p. 50. thus are they enemies to the doctrine of Christ crucified and justification by faith they are fallen from grace and seek to lead men from Christ to the Law again as the Apostle Paul shews in the Epistle to the Gallatians IV. They own not any for truly sanctified persons but such as are perfectly freed from the being of sinne and therefore reproach us who say with the Apostle Romans 7. we have sin dwelling in us as unsanctified persons whereas the Scriptures own such for Saints as are freed from the dominion of sinne though not yet from the being thereof and shew that in the best there is flesh as well as Spirit Gal. 5.17 V. They deny the grace of God infused into the Saints in Sanctification to be a created thing though the Scripture calls it the new creature 2 Corinth 5.17 Ephes 2.10 and hold it to be the uncreated being of God so Richard Hubberthorne and John Lawrence in a letter sent to me speak a most wretched and blasphemous doctrine for then should we be Gods if the uncreated being were communicated to us even as Christ was God the divine essence being eternally communicated to him besides this doctrine would make us meerly passive as stocks and stones in all duties of Sanctification the plain doctrine of the Libertines that being followed overthrows all holinesse having sometimes laid open the odiousnesse of this opinion to my people the person last named being ashamed of it did openly deny it before the Congregation but hath now owned it with his hand subscribing to it VI. They take away many great arguments inducing to Holinesse and Sanctification as the doctrine of the Resurrection last Judgement Heaven and Hell c. as was before shewed now to what purpose is it to raile against sinne when they take away those weapons that should destroy it and to speak of holinesse when they take away the greatest inducements thereunto If the dead rise not saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 15.22 then let us eat and drink for to morrow we die what need men be affrighted with the scar-crowes of Heaven Hell c These evil words will more corrupt good manners then all their other good words will promote holinesse VII They destroy all those helps to Sanctification and Godlinesse which God hath given us They deny the Ordinances of God as before was shewed which are the means of grace and Sanctification John 17.17 Eph. 5.26 Jam. 1.18 c. could the prelatical enemies of holinesse in former times take a more crafty course to suppresse holinesse then by silencing of Preaching Catechising Praying and restraining Christian communion c how gladly the Quakers would promote all this if they could and leave people only to the light in them which is meer darknesse I shewed before in the Section about Ordinances By this time the weakest Reader may perceive the Quakers to be but faint enemies to sinne though they speak aloud and give bigge words against it and
his last part in the world it 's likely he will use his utmost subtilty in deceiving Our great care therefore should be to preserve our selves from the errours of the wicked and to take heed of the leaven of such seducers how many cautions hath the Scripture given to us herein when Christ had foretold of those seducers Mat. 24. he bids Take heed that no man deceive you and believe them not this being the end of his forewarning us that we might be forearmed against them Heresies are reckoned amongst the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5.20 and are therefore sooner drunk in by people then the precious truths of the Gospel for we cannot receive these without the special help of Gods Spirit to let them in to our hearts how soon did the Arian heresie over-spread the world only one Athanasius visibly withstood it All the world wondered after the Beast and worshipped the same Rev. 13.3 4. Popery soon over-ran the West and North parts of the world and Mahumetanisme the East and South even there where those famous Asian Churches sometimes were seated are now the impure Temples of Mahomet no gangrene sooner over-spreads the natural body then errours and heresies do the Ecclesiastick body 2 Tim. 2.17 What care then should Christians have lest they be infected with the same Adde hereunto these are no lesse deadly to the souls of people then gangrenes or plagues are to their bodies such doctrines eat as doth a canker or gangrene saith the Apostle heresies may prove as damnable to men as moral wickednesse 2 Pet. 2.1 lesser errours indeed men may hold and yet be saved whilest they build upon the right foundation Though they build hay or stubble thereupon they may be saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3 13. their spirits may be scorched their peace and comfort lost but to miscarry in the foundation is damnable who can reckon up the evil consequences of false doctrines they blind the mind and extinguish the true knowledge of God they harden the heart they undermine the comfort of Christians and destroy the Churches peace they mortally infect the inward vitals of Christianity and outwardly deprave the conversation corrupt principles wil at length produce corrupt practises they provoke the Lord to have a controversie with a people where they are tolerated Rev. 2.14 15 20. and will exclude men the Kingdome of heaven Gal. 5.20 21. Let not any Christian therefore look upon the errours and heresies of the times as things of small concernment but make it his great care to be preserved from the infection of them as men do in the time of pestilence to be preserved from the same I shall for the benefit of such humble and sincere Christians as fear the infection of the errours amongst us and are willing to use such preservations against them as the Scriptures afford collect from thence a few antidotes of special use for that end the blessing of the Lord accompanying them Directions showing how Christians may be preserved from the errours and hreresies of the times I. Labour to be rooted and grounded more in the truth if you would not be shaken with every wind of doctrine Col. 1.23 2 Pet. 2.14 it 's ungrounded and unstable Christians who commonly are seduced who never saw on what grounds they took up their Religion but take it on trust from others and then when they meet with such arguments against the truth as they cannot answer they yeild to errour whereas that may be neverthelesse a truth Mat. 22.29 though they cannot defend it therefore search the Scriptures more and labour to see how the principles of the Christian faith are established upon them and be not ashamed to learn your Catechismes wherein you have the fundamentals of Christianity extracted out of the Scriptures and plainly set down even in the Primitive times they had such first principles of the oracles of God Heb. 5.12 and forms of wholsom words 2 Tim. 1.13 for the better grounding of weak Christians and the greatest proficieoâ—â— did first begin there and therein are contained such truths as may exercise us in searching further into all our life time Luther that eminent servant of Christ professed himself a Scholar in the Catechisme Had the Quakers ever been well grounded in the first principles or rudiments of Religion how is it possible they should so soon have been turned from the truth and denyed the doctrine of Christs humanity of the holy Trinity of Justification of Sanctification of the resurrection of the dead c for my part I know but few of them if any that I can judge ever had any clear distinct knowledge of these things and could tell how they were confirmed by the Scriptures Let therefore weak Christians if they would not be seduced use this direction conscionably give diligence to be setled more in the truth and to get a clear knowledge of the great doctrines of the Gospel such things as be fundamental and necessary to be known unto Salvation are clearly set down in Scripture that weak Christians if they study them with humility prayer and diligence may attain the understanding of them as for more difficult points that they cannot yet comprehend let them not too much be troubled about them but waite till God reveale the same unto them and in the meantime it s far safer for them to adhere in such things to what is commonly received by the people of God and embraced by the Saints in all ages Cant. 1.8 to follow the footsteps of the flock of Christ then to be led away by pretenders to new-light the Scriptures having given so many Cautions to beware of seducers in the last times This first direction is given by the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ II. Rest not in a notional embracing of the truth but receive it with love and obedience and labour to finde your hearts bettered therby and then you shall not so soon be induced to desert the truth and embrace errours when men receive not the truth with love they are soon brought to beleeve lies 2 Thes 2.10 but when men taste the sweetnesse of the wayes of God and are in love with Gospel truths for that goodnesse they find in them they will hold them fast such as have experimented the efficacy of the doctrines of faith changing and renuing their hearts quickning their spirits pacifying and comforting their consciences and quelling their corruptions will not be easily induced to exchange them for errours but it 's those that never found those benefits by the same that so soon part therewithal Let therefore the truths of Christ dwell in your hearts and season them as leaven labour to finde your hearts molded by the same and changed into the image of truth the more you grow in grace the more