without suspicion upon this Account then Teachers are to be tryed There being so many false Teachers and many of them so subtile great is the danger of being deceived 2. Reas 2 And secondly as great danger in being deceived The danger in being deceived by them As it is in drinking of poison there is great danger to the Body so there is in receiving and drinking in heretical doctrines which are no other but poison to the soul what the Psalmist Heresie the Poyson of Aspes and from him the Apostle saith of wicked men in general Psal 140.3 Rom. 3.13 It may well be applied to Heretical Teachers in particular The poison of aspes is under their lips The poison of the Aspe or viper is secretly instilled without any great sense or pain yet desperately mortal to the person that is bitten or stung by it who being thereby cast into a dead sleep he never waketh more And truely such is the nature of false and heretical doctrine it is secretly and insensibly instilled into the soul but oftentimes proves mortal to it casting the soul into a dead sleep from which it never wakes till it come in hell So desperate oftimes is the conditions of poor deluded souls Like as the Apostle saith of the Seducers 2 Tim. 3.13 so it proves often true in the seduced They wax worse and worse going on from one error to another from a lesser to a greater from Schisme to Heresie A truth sadly experimented in many instances in this Nation of late times How many seemingly and hopefully well meaning souls have there been who by hearkening to such Teachers false Teachers have been so impoisoned with their Doctrines as that now they are swollen thereby so swollen with spiritual pride the worst of prides as that they refuse and scorn the advice of whatsoever soul-Physians the true Ministers of Christ so as unless God undertake them in a more then ordinary way there is little hope of their recovery Such and so great is the danger in being deceived by such Teachers So our first parent The serpents deceiving our first parent how dangerous to her and her posterity our great Grandmother Eve found it by sad experience Being deceived by Satan speaking in the Serpent she was in the transgression as the Apostle hath it 1 Tim. 2.14 Thereby she became guiltie of that first transgression which had not infinite mercy stept in had brought everlasting ruine upon her and all her Posteritie And how fatal hath this proved to many others their hearkning to Satan speaking in and by unsuspected instruments we know what happened to King Ahab whilest he hearkned to his false prophets following the Counsel which they gave him bidding him to go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper an arrow strikes him between the joynts of his harness giving him a mortal wound as you have the storie 1 King 22.32 And what happened to his Body how often hath it happened unto the souls of many who by hearkening unto false teachers have met with some Errors some Heresie some dangerous and damnable Doctrine which hath been as an Arrow piercing their hearts giving them a deadly wound and upon this account again great Reason that Teachers should be tryed before they be trusted To these some other might be added Reas 3 Christians beleeving without trying make themselves the servants of men To receive and believe teachers upon their word to receive their Persons and believe their Doctrine without examination and tryal is to make men the servants of men which Christians ought not to be ye are bought with a price saith the Apostle be not ye the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Christians being bought with a price redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ as Saint Peter explaines it 1 Pet. 1.18 19. and so made his servants his freemen they are not to mancipate and inslave themselves to any other what ever specially to inslave their souls and consciences so as to suffer any man whatever to have the command over them This is that which Saint Paul so smartly reproves his Corinthians for 2 Cor. 11.20 Ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage This did the false Apostles their new teachers tyrannizing over their consciences by imposing upon them their Ceremonial observances And this they suffered submitted to though contrary to their Gospel libertie Such was their esteem of those new Teachers that they readily received their Doctrines and conformed to their injunctions though diverse from and contrarie to that which they had received But this Christians ought not to do Being Christs freemen they are not to inslave themselves to any so as to yield an absolute credence to their Doctrines and dictates This is an honour which is peculiar onely unto Jesus Christ who being an absolute Lord over his people justly challengeth their absolute dependance upon him and obedience to him so as to receive his word without Tryal Not so any other who be what they will yet are subject to miscarry Let God be true and every man a Lyar saith the Apostle Rom. 3.4 A Lyar and that both passively and actively subject to be deceived himself and so to deceive others Such are the best of men being left to themselves farther then as they are assisted and directed by the spirit of truth Onely Jefus Christ he is the truth as he saith of himself John 14.6 And being so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be believed on his word Not so any other whether Man or Angel Not that we have dominion over your Faith saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.24 They are not to be received but upon tryal They who said they were apostles were yet tryed by this angel of the Church who is here commended by his Lord and master for so doing I know thy works c. Thou hast tryed them which say they are apostles c. Thus have you the doctrinal confirmation Illustration That which remains is Application 1. Applic. Too great credulty taxed Where in the first place by way of reprehension I might take a just occasion to tax and censure the too great credulitie that is to be found among many Christians in this Nation at this day who if any come unto them pretending to gifts and calling they presently receive him hearken to him believe him giving intertainment to his person and doctrine not trying not examining the one or the other By which means they become guiltie of that which the Apostle cautions his Ephesians against Eph. 4.14 Children-like they are tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine yea some of them carried like as those swine were into which the devils entred of which the storie tels us that they ran violently down a steep place into the sea Mat. 8.32 into most pernicious dangerous and damnable errors And how should it be otherwise They who will trust without trial must make account at one time or other to be deceived
the Church the work of the Gospel which office being thus conferred upon on them they were thenceforth to attend to it Setting them apart to the work of the Ministery to make it their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their work Having a ministery they were to wait on their ministring Rom. 12.7 thus it hath been and thus it should bee Not but that extraordinary cases admit of extraordinary courses In some cases how dispensed with Where there want fitting I mean Ministerial hands to be imposed that Ceremony may be omitted And necesitie requiring it some other service may be joyned with this Thus Paul saith that he upon such an account sometime laboured with his own hands exercised a Handicraft as he tells his Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.12 But in an ordinary course thus it should not bee The Ministers of Christ are to be set a part to the work of their Ministerie in a solemn manner And being thus set apart they are as I said to make it their worke which who so are not or doe not they give too just occasion for others to scruple and question the truth of their calling Services pro. to Ministers not to be undertaken by others Specially when any being not so called shall take upon them in an ordinary to way to intermeddle with such services as are properly and peculiarly Ministeral to dispence such Ordinances as are committed onely to them as viz. not onely to preach the Word but to administer the Sacraments which it seemeth some too many in these desolate times that I say not in this place adventure upon this too plainly sheweth and declareth them to be what they are such as say they are Apostles but are not pretenders to a calling which they have not And thus I have done with the first of these three heads wherein the Probation and Tryal of false teachers consisteth the first thing wherein and whereby they may and are to be tried their calling pass we to the second Tryal 2 The second thing is their Doctrine Their Doctrine This is the way which Saint John propoundeth for the trial of those false Teachers of his time 1 John 4.1 2. Trye the spirits saith he whether they be of God for many false prophets are gone out into the world But how should they try them why by their Doctrine So it followeth Hereby know ye the spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God If their Doctrine be false they cannot be true False as to fundamentals the principles of Christian Religion denying perverting them This is that which St. Peter saith of those false teachers which he fortelleth should come into the Church 2 Pet. 2.1 There shall be false teachers among you who privilie shall bring in damnable Heresies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heresies of destruction wicked opinions and Doctrines destructive to the souls of men Such Teachers who broach or hold forth such opinions are most properly called false-teachers who are to be tried by their Doctrine Quest. Q. How tried But the Question here runs on How shall their doctrine be tryed Answ A. By the scriptures the Churches touch-stone To this the Answer is obvious it is so among Protestants Only by the word the written word the Scriptures This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lydius Papis the Churches touch-stone whereby she is to try Doctrines and consequently teachers for this expresse is that known Text of the Prophet Isai Chap. 8. vers 20. to the law and to the testimony that is to Gods word the Scriptures which is his testimony testifying of him declaring his mind and will Hereunto must they repair who would not be deceived by false teachers bringing their Doctrines to this tonch-stone trying them by this If they speak not according to this word so it followeth it is because there is no light in them If they if any be they who they will never such pretenders to Illumination yet shall they speak otherwise then according to the word holding forth any doctrine that is not consonant and agreeable thereunto they are no other but Impostors this is an evident signe that their pretended light is no other but darkness This is that which Christians are to give heed to above what enter pretended Inspirations or Revelation When Dives in the parable begged it of father Abraham that he would send Lazarus to his fathers house that he might testifie unto his breethren what the state of the damned was what the torments of Hell were which were prepared for such as they were what saith he to him you have it Luk. 16.29 Abraham saith unto him they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them intimating that the testimony of the word is to be preferred before all other testimonies They may be false but this is undoubtedly true Thy word is truth Joh. 17.17 And therefore to this let Christians repair bringing the Doctrines of their teachers to this test This was the Touchstone which those Noble Bereans made use of in trying of Pauls doctrine How ever looking upon him as a man sent of God they received the word from his mouth with readiness of minde yet they searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so Act. 17.11 whether consonant and agreeable to the written word Like course are Christians to take specially when they meet with new doctrines new to them they are now to lay them to this rule Thus doe tradesmen in trying of weights and measures they bring them to the standard If they finde them either more or lesse then that they look upon them as not warrantable And so is it with doctrines if not exactly consonant and agreeable to the written word which God hath left as a standard for his Church to try them by if either more or lesse if any addition to the word or substraction from it if contrary to it or diverse from it they are to bee looked upon as false and he that teacheth them as a false teacher Objection Object But it may be said Scriptures obscure to pri vate and unlearned Christians How shall private Christians thus try them It may be they are unlearned weak and simple and not so able to judge the scriptures about the sense whereof it is not alwayes agreed among learned men the greatest Clerks sometimes differing in the exposition of them And how then shall they bee able to judge of them so as to try doctrines by them Answ 1 Answ 1. To this it is answered 1. Fundamentals clearly held forth That as for fundamental truths necessary to be known and believed they are plainly held forth written as with a sun-beam So plainly set forth as that a weak eye may see them Obj. Object 1 How is it that all doe not see them But if so how then is it
that some who are quick sighted doe not How is it that some who are learned conceived diversly of them They cannot see what others suppose they doe As Papists and Socinians they cannot see those doctrines which others conceive to bee clearly held-forth in the word Ans Ans Not through any obscurity in the word But To this it may be answered this is not through any obscurity or darkness in the word But 1 It may be there is a beam in the eye There may be a beam in the eye which will not let it see what otherwise in it self is clear Such a beam there is in the Papists eye who being prejudiced against such such truths of God as their great Apostle the Pope will not give his allowance to to whom they have inslaved their judgements they cannot or rather will not see them though never so clearly held forth in the Word And so may it bee with some others who having the beam of some sinful lust or other in their eye which they are willing to part with they cannot see that which others doe because they are loath not willing to see it 2 Or secondly in looking upon the scriptures they make use of false lights False lights made use of not judging of it by its own light which they ought to do but by their own light Either by the light of fancy which is the Quakers light which he calls the Light within him Or by the light of Reason which is the Socinians light which whilest he is wholly guided by no wonder he cannot see what is above reason mysterious doctrines to be apprehended by faith not comprehended by reason Now they who shall make use of no other light but this dim one no wonder if they cannot see what otherwise is clearly and plainly held-forth in the word 3 To which I might adde God in his just judgement blinding the eye God in his just judgement sometimes hideth that from the eyes of some which through an ordinary work of that spirit he revealeth unto others To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome but to them it is not given Mat. 13.11 He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart John 12.40 This for fundamentals Answer 2 For other truths of God which are not so clear Private Christians to crave the help of others specially their Ministers here private Christians are to crave the help of others such as have more discerning spirits then themselves In special of the Ministers of Christ who are as I said Tryers by office specially their own Ministers To them in dubious cases they are to repair receiving the law from the mouthes Not that I would have them see with their eyes The people not to see with with their Ministers eyes So Romanists Some of them would have it who cry up their implicit faith willing and requiring private Christians to beleeve what the Pope and his Ministers beleeve allowing them no other judgment concerning the doctrines of their teachers Ad hoc quidem respondent ex mente D. Joha nis Omnes fideles probare spiritus num ex Deo sint dìun illis credunt qui spirituum havent discretionem Estius Com in loc So Estius tels us that some of them expound that forecited text of Saint John 1 Ep. 4.1 where he giveth that general direction to all to Try the spirits This say they are private persons to doe not by themselves but by others by those who have the spirit of discerning whom in this case they are to beleeve For as it is in the natural body the eye onely seeth though not onely for it self but for the whole Body So is it in the Church say they Here those that have the spirit of discerning the Pope and his Ministers they are to judge of Doctrines which they doe not onely for themselves but for others who by submitting to their judgements may be said to try the spirits viz. in and by them This Doctrine as Estius dares not avouch it wee renounce Not onely allowing but requiring what the Scripture doth that every one should see for himself with his own eyes The just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 not by the faith of his Minister or yet of the Church But though they may not see with their eyes Yet may make use of their light yet they may make use of their light As the wise men did of the Star to bring them to the place where Christ was Such use both may and ought private Christians to make of their Ministers who are as stars in the right hand of Christ Rev. 1. make use of their light their guidance their direction That so by the help thereof they may come to see that in the word which otherwise may be dark and obscure to them Thus then let Christians set upon the Tryal of Doctrines and so of their Teachers by them Directions in this Tryal 1 Seek humble and meek spirits Onely here that they may not miscarry let them first seek humble and meek spirits not thinking of themselves above that which they ought to think but thinking soberly as the Apostle requires them Rom. 12.3 Nor yet being of captious and quarrelling spirits seeking advantages against their Ministers So did the Prophet Jeremies familiars to him they watched for his haltings Ier. 20.10 And so dealt the Scribes and Tharisees by our Saviour as St. Luke tells us Luke 11. last They laid wait for him seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him This is a thing which doth not become Christians who ought to be like unto their pattern Christ himself who bids them Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 And being such they may now expect that God will reveal himself and his truth to them I will dwell with him that is of an humble spirit saith the Lord Isa 57.15 being ready as to support and comfort so to teach and instruct them The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way Psal 25.9 2. Dir. 2 And being humble and meek Beware of mistakes let them also be tender and warie warie lest they mistake the Doctrines which they hear mistake either words or sense Both these wayes we finde our Saviour mistaken In his words by Peter and other his disciples John 21.22 where when Peter had propounded that curious enquirie concerning John And what shall this man do what should become of him our Saviour answereth him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Here they mistake him conceiving him to have spoken positively that John should not die which went for currant among the Brethren Yet as the Text hath it Jesus said not not unto him He shall not die but if I will that he tarry till I come what