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
revealed Indeed Satan hath many other ends as I have shew'd you and besides them divers other might be named Satan is busie when God is sowing wheate to sowe his tares when God is discovering of truth to be communicating of errours he hopes in the heate of the market to vent his own wares he hopes in the throng to put off one with another and that men will not so carefully observe it at least if men be shie to entertaine the one he hopes by this to lessen the authority and to prejudice the entertainment of the other And indeed the multitude of errours abroad they are great disadvantages to the entertainment of the truth they are a great prejudice to the receiving of it Men that heare of false reports abroad though they have not been abused with them will be shie to entertaine truth so men that heare of a multitude of erronious opinions abroad in the world though they have not been seduced or led aside with them yet will be shie and afraid to own the truths which God in that generation doth hold forth to them And by this meanes Satan hath a great advantage he perswades and prevailes with men to adhere to their former principles without any inquiry after more And this is dangerous As it is dangerous to stint and bound our selves in practise thus much we will doe and no more as it is the spirit of many men So it is dangerous to stint and bound our selves in principles or things to be knowne thus much I know and I will search into the revelation of no more 2 Pet. 1.9 1 Pet. 3.18 Heb. 6.1 As we are not perfect in grace and therfore we are to adde to faith virtue to our virtue patience c. to grow in grace to be led forward to perfection and he that sits down with any measure is yet to begin So we are not perfect in knowledge the Apostle tells you we know but in part and therefore we are still to study and search not only after clearer revelation of things known but fuller revelation of Gods mind to us and he that contents himselfe with the measure of revelation he hath is yet to begin in the knowledge of Christ And therefore this is a dangerous errour when Satan shall perswade and prevaile with us to adhere in those things we doe know and sleight any further revelation to be content with those measures of revelations we have and to seeke to know no more of Gods mind and will to us And this is another wile which Satan hath in the multitude of errours that thereby he might prejudice the further search and inquiry into the mind of God disadvantage the entertainment of truth and perswade with us to stick and adhere only in those which are already revealed to us It is good to adhere to those that are revealed but bad to adhere in them and seeke no further revelation because we are not perfect in knowledge therefore must grow As we say of grace so of truth It is good to have a heart stablished in grace but stinted in grace is nought stablishing doth keepe the heart from going backward and that is good but stinting doth keepe a man from going forward and that is nought You are to aspire to grow in knowledge as well as in grace But you will say what needs any more Object our Fathers held out these truths and sought no further and we hope they are saved and so shall we too if we doe but adhere in the truths of our fore-fathers and seeke no further 1. The reasoning is corrupt I say this is corrupt reasoning Answ that our Fathers held out these and these things for truth it is not enough to evidence they are truth that they went in this way is not sufficient to declare it was a good way and a way for us to walk in this is to take up our Religion by tradition not from Scripture the Papists have the same Arguments our Fathers were of this Religion and therefore it is good which you will all say is corrupt reasoning You have a place in Jer. 9.14 they walked after Balaam which their fathers taught them 2. But secondly admit our fathers held forth these things for truths yet they held not forth all truth they knew some but yet they knew not all truths It is said we know but in part And God is therefore said to appoint a Ministery in the Church for the further building us up in knowledge Ephes 4.12 13. for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the sonnes of God to a perfect man 3. Againe though our fathers held out these truths yet we wrong our fathers to say that they sought no further though they knew these and these truths yet they labour'd not only after a clearer revelation of truths known but after further revelation of truths not yet known and discovered to them and this appeares both in their writings and also upon experience every generation growes up in further knowledge of the mysteries of Christ and the Gospel as might be instanced in many points which have been debated between us and Papists and us and Arminians Pelagians all which truths have been the proper revelations to those particular generations And therefore you wrong them to say they knew these and sought no further And the experience of much more revealed in every generation is sufficient confutation of that Did our fathers in King Henry the eights dayes who first rejected the papall tyranny or our fathers in King Edward the sixths dayes who set up that infant reformation that wanting nursing fathers and mothers hath been kept back and held down so long where otherwise it might have come to manhood and perfection the thriving of the child lies much in the goodnesse of the nurse Kings and Queenes are called nursing fathers and nursing mothers to Religion this child this infant Reformation hath not had that nursing whereby it should thrive the breast of nourishment hath been kept from it and drawne out towards children of errour they have thriven the true child hath pin'd away Kings and Queenes are called shadowes as Josiah Lam. 4.20 32. Isa 2. And we speake it with griefe as things have been carried they have indeavoured to make them like trees which the papall faction have clasped about and adhered to as the Ivie to the tree not because they love it but because they have sucked sweet from it but they have been such shades as have hindered the growth of better things But to passe this If you come down to Queene Elizabeths dayes did our fathers in her time know so much had they that full revelation of that which is in our dayes he that reades may easily see And therefore this is a plaine confutation though our fathers did hold out some truths yet they sought after more they did not rest in that they had but
this passage Then doe we sufficiently know that the doctrine is of God when we perceive it to be propounded to us by our lawfull Pastor especiall a Councell assenting to it And if any will not rest here in the doctrine propounded but will try further and arrogate judgement over their judges and call to question whether those things are truths which are propounded by the Church by whom the spirit of God would teach us let such an one know he doth transgresse Gods bounds and the way and manner of trying of spirits commanded of God The same man saith further It is not fit that any private man should arrogate to himselfe to judge of the doctrines or opinions of his Priest Quic simpliciter omnes jubebantur sacerdoti de rebus controversis aâ—â—quid statuentâ— acquiescere Greg. Ecclesiae ministerio credimus simpliciter absolutè si ministri ecclesiae in aliquo dubio definiendo errarent populus Christianus errare posset imo deberet Stapl. because every one are simply and absolutely commanded to rest in the determinations of the Priest I will but name another who yet riseth higher We doe simply and absolutely believe the ministry of the Church And the people are so subjected to the sentences of their Pastors that if the Priest doe erre in any thing the people may and ought to erre in obedience of them So that you see if you aske the judgement of the Papists in this point you are in a poore case you are to stand to the determinations and definitions of Synods Councells without any doubt or examination whether they be true or no and that they might the better bring in this implicite faith and blinde obedience They tell you that they are infallible that you might the rather put out your owne eyes and be led by their light they tell you that they are unerring guides and in indeed if this were true the people might better shut their eyes and goe by theirs they might rather tye their boate to their ship follow the dictates definitions of them without either doubt or examination but they must believe the one that they cannot erre and then they must doe the other that is stand to all their sentences and determinations But we will passe this onely we shew you that they take away all power in any Christian man of judging or examining and prooving the doctrines which are propounded by their Councells and Bishops and doe require a blinde faith and obedience to them all saying that every particular person ought to stand to the determinations of the Church and to beleeve them to be truth because the Church hath an unerring spirit And this belief suits well with the people say they to believe as the Church believes for he that doth believe him that doth believe is not improperly said to believe though he know not what he doth believe An opinion which doth a Papistae in religione recipienda ethnicorum imo pecuduÌ„ more ducuÌ„tur beast men and denude them of all reason and what is of man in them Against which Luther speaks in these words b Hoc uno scelere meritos esse Praelatos Romanenses ut ex ecclesiae coetu tanquam lupi tyranni pellereÌ„tur Tom. 2. p. 375. Qu. Who are to examine opinions For this one wicked opinion viz. that absolute dominion which they claim over the faith and consciences of men the Roman Prelates deserve to be driven out of the number of the faithfull as Wolves and tyrants And under this censure we will leave them and come to the answer of the Question Qu. Who are those who are to examine opinions You have heard what the Papists say viz. that none ought to doubt of or examine the opinions definitions and determinations of the Church Before we come to give you our answer we will premise some distinctions as touching examination 1. First then there is an examination in foro publico or externo And 2. There is an examination in foro privato or interno that is 1. There is a publike and authoritative examination 2. There is a private and Christian examination Or 1. There is an examination in reference to publike censure 2. There is an examination in reference to private settlement The first is authoritative and is that which comes up to that which Divines call judicium ministeriale or ministeriall judgement which is when many Ministers are authoritatively called convened and met together there they are not onely inquisitors and examiners of opinions but Judges that is ministeriall and subordinate Judges or determinators of doctrines and opinions and may passe censure upon such opinions as are found erroneous And of this kinde is conceived to be that great solemn convention of the Disciples and Elders Act. 15. Where there was an examination and debate of things and thereupon a passing of censure and judgement And of this kinde were those ancient and famous Councels and Synods in the Primitive times of the Church famous against those errours and heresies in those daies And this is the first kinde authoritative examination 2. The second is a private and conscientious examination of opinions in a mans own Court the Court of conscience whereby a man doth try and debate whether those things which are prescribed or those things which are preached written c. be truths and agreeable to the Word of God And this doth amount to that which Divines call judicium discretionis or the judgement of discretion in which men have power to examine debate and to passe judgement in reference to their own practice and walking Every man is not only to be an inquisitor or examiner of all opinions nay of the definitions and determinations of Councels but he is to judge of them and this he ought to doe in respect of his own practice though his judgement is not binding to others or concerns not others no further then others shall finde that there appeares truth in it Now having premised this I shall come to the answer and passing by the first leaving it to another place viz. authoritative examination We shall only deal with the second and say That every Christian who hath care of his salvation ought to examine not only private opinions but even the sentences definitions determinations of Synods of Councels and to bring all to the rule of faith the Word of God the true touchstone of doctrines and to receive them and reject them as they are conceived to be agreeable or disagreeable thereto This position that we have here laid down in answer to the question I shall 1. Cleare it by Scripture 2. Confirme it by argument And 3. Strengthen it by the testimonie of Divines against the Papists And 4. Answer objections and so goe to the second 1. I shall clear it by Scripture and you have one here in the text Mat. 24.4 Take heed that no man deceive you c. 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast
truth and reject errour not because the one is truth the other errour but because the one is commanded the other is condemned authority carries all And what will be the issue they will be as ready to reject as now to receive if authority come in as it was said of Israel they willingly followed the counsell of Jeroboam He no sooner comes with his authority but all stoop to it when they heard the trumpet blow all fell down to worship his Calves Oh that my voice would goe thorow England now that things are upon the wheels reformation in the birth things in a way of setling that they would be prepared to receive things as men as Christians that they would be ready to receive things knowingly subject not your souls meerly to any authority believe God prove all things and then you will hold to what is good I see a spirit in men some look what will authority settle others in what way will preferment lie And as the winde follows the abundance of exhalations so they where there is most abundance for the world I see others standing and enquiring which way such men go men so holy men so learned and few that will take the pains to enquire what is the minde of God They aske indeed with Pilate what is truth what is the way of God but they will not digge into the myne of Scripture to finde this treasure they will not take pains to search They best they hope that godly men and learned men will not settle any thing but what is good and there they rest what is this but resolving our faith into the determinations of men this we are not to doe though the best of men because it is sinfull it is not certain it is not safe nor is it a way like men This is the position that it is our duty to examine the doctrins determinations of Synods Councels c. And let it be our practice And as I would not have you to embrace any thing out of corrupt affections or ignorance so not to reject the sentences determinations of Synods unlesse you have firme ground Take heed they are weighty things though they may erre yet thou art liker and therefore take heed 1. Beware of pride 2. Of faction 3. Of partiality 4. Of corrupt affections 5. Of profanenâ—sse of spirit Ministeriall judgement is their due and the judgement of discretion rationall judgement is yours You are not to embrace without ground much lesse to dissent without cause lest thou be found to be a troubler of Israel a disturber of the peace of the Churches of God As I would not have you shut your eyes and goe by the light of others So I would not have thee put out their light and goe by the darke lanthorne of thine owne understanding I would have you to embrace knowingly and not to reject ignorantly I would give as much to such an Assembly as to any judgement upon earth I would give to such an Assembly as much as to man but not so much as to God They have not unerring judgements indeed their definitions and determinations are not infallible yet to be reverenced I say they are to be reverenced though not adored though their determinations are understandingly to be scanned yet not proudly and ignorantly to be sleighted Consul Whitak cont 1. q 5. c 9. p. 362. b. vel ad sinem cap. It is good to see a ground of assenting and be sure also to see good reason of dissenting In brief this is all I commend to you receive not their determinations with blinde judgements neither doe you reject them with perverse wils Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good Men may erre the best men Councels of the best men and therefore prove thou may erre much more and therefore be not peremptory Though they may erre being but men yea holy men yet if I should rationally seek out for truth I should seek it among an Assembly of holy learned experienced men acquainted with much of Gods minde I would neither have you to sleight their judgements nor enslave your own Not to contemn the light they hold forth to you nor to give up your own eyes and resigne your selves meerly to their guidance Ministeriall judgement is theirs and their determinations are to be reverenced Rationall judgement is thine and their definitions are to be examined and in that we give reverence to them In receiving of their determinations shew your selves to be men in rejecting of them shew your selves to be Christians And thus much for the first great Question We now come to the second Qu. 2. What is the rule by which we must examine or the touch-stone by which we must try opinions And here again if you will consult with the Papists they will tell you that the dâ—finitions of Synods the determinations of the Pope these are the unerring rules these are the infallible Judges of controversies and opinions as for the Scriptures they say of that it is but nasus cereus a nose of wax which may be wrested any way and will receive what interpretation men will give it a Scriptura non potest esse judex controversiarum circa fidem Non Scriptura Dei vox sed ecclesiae praesentis vox est fidei nostrae magister judex injallihilis Not the Scripture say they which is the voice of God but the voice of the present Church is Master and infallible Judge of our faith But I purpose not to lanch into this vast â—ea of controversie but waving the long disputes about this poinâ— as succinctly and clearly as I can I shall give you the truth And that I may proceed more distinctly and clearly in the resolution of this Question give me leave by way of premisall to tell you what we mean by opinions and what we mean by rule 1. By opinions I mean b Dogmata fidei cultus divini the doctrines of faith and of divine worship or truths to be believed and things to be done 2. By Rule I mean the law or sentence of the supreme Judge set up for this end to be the touch-stone to reveal truth and discover errour This we meane by opinions and this by rule We now come to the answer of the Question viz. Qu. 2. What is the rule by which we must examine or the touch-stone by which we must try opinions That there is a rule all grant but what is the rule here is all the controversie We shall not now speak to this controversie according to the vastnesse and largenesse of it as it is handled by our learned c Consul doctiss Whit. con 1. q. 3 per totam praecipuè q 5. c. 8. 13. Consul Daven de judic norm fid per totam primaÌ„ partem Cons Parâ— de polit eccl l. 2 c. 2. ubi noniâ— argumentiâ— confirmatur Scripturam solam esse judicemâ— necnon Morton Apol. Cath. Bilson Reinold Jewel
redditur Misner de eccles cap. de errandi possibilitate membr 1. Sect. 4 6 7. p. 626. private and self-directive judgment Now 1. If the Question be put Who is to judge of Gods minde in the Word in a Ministeriall publike way I say that it is the office of Councels and Synods to examine debate determine declare the minde of God out of the Word * Patres in Concilio non tantuÌ„modo inquisitores sed judices Councels they are not only inquirers what is the minde of God in Scripture but in some sense Judges that this is the minde of God in Scripture yet are they not supreme absolute infallible unerring Judges as the Papists say but Ministeriall declarative subordinate Judges who are not to goe beyond their bounds the Word of God a Concilia habent solummodo munus potestatem interpretaÌ„di Scripturas c. Reynolds confer with Hart. c. 2. divis 2 p. 100. Councels have only the office and power of interpreting Scripture from Scripture and the minde of the holy Ghost speaking in them Reynolds in his conference with Hart hath this passage Christ saith he hath given two sorts of judgement to his Church the one private the other publike private belongs to all the faithfull and b 1 Cor. 2.15 spirituall who are to c 1 Cor. 10 13. judge of what is taught and d 1 Joh. 4.1 to try the spirits 2. Publike that belongs to e Act. 15.6 the assembly of Pastors and Elders for of that which f 1 Cor. 14.29 Prophets teach let Prophets judge g 1 Cor. 14 38. and the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets In both of which the Church must yet remember that God hath committed nothing but the ministry of giving judgement to her the soveraignty of judgement doth rest on the Word of God Thus farre he Another of our own Councels may propound expound declare to the people that Doctrine which the Scriptures hold forth but they have no power of making new Doctrine that is they are the publike Interpreters and publishers of holy Doctrine revealed in Scripture they may expound and declare Scripture but neither make Scripture nor become Scripture to us 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Pet. 4.11 To make Doctrine is proper only to God who is the Lord and Master of our faith and consciences Men are Ministers to our faith and not Masters of it but this were from a Minister to become a Master of our faith which the Apostle so much abhorrs 2 Cor. 1.24 We are not Masters of your faith but helpers of your joy Nay if they had power to make Doctrine then were we not to examâ—â—e and try their doctrine but our duty were to subject to what is imposed but I have clear'd this to you that it is our duty to examine all the Doctrines and definitions of men c. And if an Angel from heaven should preach another doctrine let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 It is not in mans power to make doctrines though to declare them Secondly if the Question be who is to judge of Gods minde in the Word in a private rationall self directive way then I say that every private Christian is to search the Scriptures to examine prove try and judge of the minde of God revealed in his Word so farre as concerns his own faith and practice I have shewed you that we are not to subject our understandings our faith and consciences to any authority nor to any definitions and determinations of men but are to prove and try all things by the Word for our own faith and practice we are to judge of Gods minde in his holy Wâ—rd with those cautions I laid down But this having been so largely insisted upon I shall say no more to it And this shall serve for the first the distinction of Judges Secondly I told you there were some distinctions of things to be judged Some there were that were doctrines of faith some of worship 1. The doctrines of faith I told you were such as were fundamentall or such as were superstructive Now if the Question be asked who shall judge of Gods minde in the Word concerning fundamentall doctrines I say the Word of God is evident and clear of it self in these things that if a man will not wilfully shut his eyes he cannot but see them we need not here aske who shall judge main truths are plain truths he that runs may read them And that these are plain to those who will not wilfully shut their eyes at least to see them in a rationall way the Apostle shews in Tit. 3.10 11. He that is an heretike which is one pertinaciously and obstinately erring in fundamentals such an one saith he after the first and second admonition reject or excommunicate him and he gives this ground of it knowing that such an one is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself as the word expresseth being self-condemned he sins against the secret checks of his own conscience he is self sentenced which declares that fundamentall truths are evident 1 Joh. 2.20 otherwise he had not been self-condemned Turks and Pagans they doe these things and are not self-condemned but men in the Church cannot and therefore are to be cast out Thirdly I told you that superstructive truths were either such as were more necessary or such as were accessory and necessary admits of many distinctions either such as were absolutely so or such as were necessary only by consequent or such as are primarily necessary and such as be secondarily necessary I speak not here of the first If the Question were Who shall judge of truths absolutely necessary It is the same with fundamentall truths and I say that every Christian is able to judge of Gods minde in such truths he tels us We have a Vot unctionem habetis id est vos spiritum sanctum habetis nostis omnia id est omnia necessaria Whitak Reynolds conf with Hart p 6â— middle of it Whitak cont 1. q. 5. c 8. Arg. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unction from the holy One whereby we know all things that is all things necessary to salvation and he hath told us His Spirit shall leade us into the way of all truth b Impium est putare Deum aliquando defuisse ecclesiae suae in rebus necessariis that is necessary truths and that we shall all be taught of God that the Sheep of Christ shall hear his voice and know it from the voice of a stranger This is a certain maxime c Donum intelectus nun quam se subtrahit sanctis circa ea quae sunt necesaria adsaluteÌ„ c. Aqu. 22. q. 8. a resp 3. God doth never fail his Church nor any member of Christ in truths that are necessary they shall learn they shall know and understand those things necessaryd And for those things which are lesse necessary Councels may declare and if you search if
those who have been judged to be unlearn'd have been in the truth and those who were the learned men of that age were in the errour In the times of Christ and his Apostles the Scribes and Pharisees and the learned Doctours of the Law they were in the errour as you know the Apostle asketh us in the 1 Cor. 1.20 1 Cor. 1.20 Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdome of the world So in the 1 Cor. 6.7 8. 1 Cor 6.7 8. We speak the wisdome of God in a mystery which none of the Princes of this world knew speaking of the great Doctours of the Jews for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory So that if you look into those times the learned men were in an errour and on the contrary those who were judged unlearned though they were truly learned in the wisdom of God they were in the truth as you know And indeed in all ages of the Church as it hath been a great advantage unto errour the learning of those who have maintained it so it hath been a great obstacle and prejudice to the truth the unlearnednesse of the maintainers You see in the times of the Gospel it was that which they opposed against Christ Which of the Doctours believe in him And it was that which they had against the Apostles it 's said Act. 4.13 when they saw the boldnesse of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned they marvelled Nay they objected this against Christ himself who was the wisdom of the Father and whose humane nature was filled with all the wisdom of God For in him dwelt all the fulnesse of knowledge nay Col. 1.19 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge as the Apostle Col. 2.3 Col. 2.3 Yet they said of him when they heard him to teach Joh. 7.15 Joh. 7.15 How knoweth this man letters having never learned They saw he was not brought up as others were in the Schools of the Prophets it might be he worked at his fathers trade till the time that he began his Ministery which was not till he was baptized about the 30th year of his age and they thought seeing he was never taught by man therefore he knew no letters they were ignorant that he had an invisible Tutour the Spirit of God as the Prophet tels us Isa 61.1 Isa 61.1 Isa 42.1 2 3. Isa 42.1 2 3. Isa 50.4 Isa 50.4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak But ignorant they were that he was the wisdom of God and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge were hid in him they were in him God hath filled the humane nature with all these treasures but they were hid in him as the Apostle saith they were vailed and their eyes could not behold them as you see by them in this place So that you see as it hath been a great advantage to errour so hath it been a great prejudice to truth the learning or want of learning in the maintainers of it And I conceive the ground is this because most men of the world they are led by an implicit faith and believe as others doe and they are great admirers of learning and therefore give up their faith to those whom they apprehend to be learned men and walk by their light submit to their knowledge believe as they believe and there they rest without troubling of themselves any further Tutum est peccare authoribus istis Sic And one would think this a great deal of wisdom As one said of great persons so they say and in naturall wisdom it seems safe * Errare cum doctoribus istis to erre with such learned men why will men say if they know not what is the truth who should How can such poor men as we be able to judge of things so well as those who are the Doctors and Rabbies of the Church And so I finde most men ready to resolve their faith into the opinion of others and give up their judgements to those whom they doe apprehend to be learned they thinke that such must needs be in the truth but for others they apprehend them weak and illiterate and therefore doubtles they are in an errour Now to answer this Question which is of some weight that we may more distinctly proceed and more clearly come to the resolution of it I will in the first place give you the divers acceptations of learning in Scripture and tell you how it may be taken 1. Sometimes I finde it taken in a good sense sometimes in a bad It is taken for truth The knowledge of him who is truth it self Ephes 5.20 Eph. 5.20 And once we read it is taken for errour or erroneous doctrine Rev. 2.24 Rev. 2.24 where St John speaks of the doctrine of Jezabel who had taught that men might eat things sacrificed to Idols and commit fornication without sin as many as have not this doctrine or this learning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the words may be read As many as have not this learning that is this errour or as many as are not carried away with this erroneous doctrine they are all the same But 2. Sometimes we read that learning is taken Divinely Humanely We begin with the first 1. Sometime learning is taken humanely and so sometimes Strictly Largely 1. Strictly and that 1. Either for the knowledge of tongues and so I conceive it is taken 1 Cor. 14.16 1 Cor. 14.16 where the Apostle speaking of the knowledge of tongues which was a miraculous gift and accompanied the first times of the Gospel first given to the Apostles that the Apostles might be able to speak to all men in their own languages as you see in Act. 2. beg Act. 2. beg yet continued for certain time in the Church as you see it there 1 Cor. 14. this the Apostle cals learning and saith when the Church is met together and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers will they not say that you are madd Where by unlearned in that place he means such as have not the knowledge of tongues and therefore understood not what they spake which I call humane knowledge though at this time divinely given 2. Sometimes learning is taken for the knowledge of Arts and Sciences Act. 7.22 Act. 7 22. And Moses was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds And in this sense it is probable they spake when they said the Disciples were unlearned Act. 4.13 Act. 7.13 that is they are not skild in the knowledge of the Arts and Sciences nor were they brought up in the Schools of the Prophets and so instructed as they were 2. Learning is taken largely for the improvement in all kindes
from us as the matter will not bear much lesse to fasten such deductions upon them as their professed judgement and if such things have been done it were a good way to agreement to retract those unjust charges which obstacle and block up the way to a happy union 5. Let there be a truce and cessation from all matters of strife and contention agreed on Print not preach not spread not your differences let there be a mutuall consent not to publish severall opinions which makes the people like a troubled sea without rest tossed with contrary winds and doth but heighten disagreements and make them more difficult to be composed and reconciled partly because in so doing men are more engaged and so harder to retract and their parties are encreased whom it is more difficult to satisfie 6. Lastly Set upon a brotherly and amicable conference And here I fear I speak it with grief I am as a man born out of due time yet I will speak my heart in it though former attempts in this kinde have been abortive yet after endeavours may be succesfull miscarrying wombs may be fruitfull let it be again again commanded and attempted In this conference let it not be thought presumption if I humbly suggest the consideration of four things 1. The persons undertaking it 2. The intention with which 3. The manner how to be carried 4. The obligations in it I will speak to them in brief 1. The persons undertaking it must be considered it is the main requisite to a happy agreement Certainly they are to be holy men principled from above and not byassed with carnall and corrupt interests humble men not great in their own thoughts and opinions not too big to close wiâ—h any truth nor so little as to side with an errour Meek men such as are under the reign of reason not the command of passion and in the acting of the one can silence the other Self denying men such as can trample under foot their own concernments Quis non vita sua redimat submotum istuc infinitum disfidij scandalum to advance the interests of Jesus Christ It was the speech of Bucer Who would not purchase the removing that infinite scandal that comes by dissension even with his life Men truly of such spirits might do much for the composing of our differences And yet alas I dare not but perswade my self such we have had and yet may say in the words of the Prophet We looked for peace but there is no good and for the time of hâ—aling but behold trouble 2. A second thing to be considered in this conference is The intention with which it is to be carried Not to non plus silence or conquer one another much lesse to search out disagreements and enlarge them but brotherly and humbly to finde out the truth and conscientiously to soader and compose our differences 3. A third thing to be considered is The manner how it is to be carried certainly not passionately and contentiously as adversaries striving for mastery but brotherly friendly humbly as men mutually seeking out for truth All strife is unsutable unles it be this Who shall be furthest off from strife If once men fall to crossing and contending one with another they will never be able to perswade much lesse to procure and settle any happy agrâ—ement Noluit haÌ„c laudem ad versae parti concedere quod pacis concordiae stud oâ—â—ores quam ipse essent Daven p. 4 It was the speech of Luther at the agreement at Marperg That he would not by any means suffer the adverse party that honour to outstrip him in the desires of peace and amity O that we could thus out go one another in the desires after this happy agreement and pursue it in an humble brotherly way in which should we happily prevail with either party they would not look upon themselves conquered but conquering nor would they be ashamed like those overmatched and overcome by their adversaries but would rather rejoyce at those bettered by their friends 4. A fourth thing to be considered is The obligations in it And it were well if such persons meeting for such ends were under some solemn obligations or covenants to lay aside all other interests and engagements and faithfully impartially and conscientiously to search out for the truth and to imbrace what ever overtures and hints of agreement God in his Word will afford them When mens spirits are under such weighty and solemn bands they will not without clear and demonstrable grounds from the Word oppose or dissent one from another nothing but God and truth shall part them And I read of this practice in some former Synods and Conventions we need to go no further then that of late the Synod at Dort wherein the members of it first the President of the Synod then all the Professours Pastours and Elders of the Netherlands deputed to the Synod and lastly all the Divines of other Nations did all joyntly binde themselves in a solemn oath wherein they engaged themselves unto an impartiall examination and decision of those five Articles in controversie according to the Word of God and undoubted rule of faith promising in this whole action to propound nothing to themselves See Paget power of Class and Synods p. 239. but the glory of God the peace of the Church and preservation of the truth And it were very requisite that those who are singled out and set apart for such a work might be under such engagements that in the whole procedure of the work they might act as such who have the vows of God upon them and might not be in such danger to be led aside with their own interests engagements affections or disaffections but might faithfully and singly seek after truth and peace And thus now a conference being setled there are but three main things to be looked after 1. To avoid all unnecessary controversies 2. To conclude and establish agreements 3. To accommodate differences 1. All unnecessary controversies are to be avoided As in doctrin there are fundamentall and superstructive truths Videl de episc Const praefat so in government there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some things immutable and unalterable and some things prudential and changeable It was one way which * Epist of Casaub to Car. PerroÌ„ K. James advised for agreement That there should be care to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary truths the one is to be preached pressed urged by the sons of peace and truth and a consent therein to be obtained the other was to be forborn and place given to Christian liberty being but a needles occasion of difference and dissension It was said by a learned man concerning the healing of the differences of the Germane Churches That as often as Divines of both sides have set themselves seriously about this work they still effected in it as much as they desired to effect and
make his people keepe more close to him and more close to his word these we put together though they are two things 1. To keepe more close to him for counsell instruction direction who is the Prophet of his Church who hath undertaken to leade and guide his people into the wayes of truth to guide us with his counsells and this makes a soule to keepe close to God to lie at his feet for instruction and direction it brings a man to immediate dependance upon God 2. To keepe us close to the word the written word of God that our faith may not be built and founded on man but God In pictures the further you goe from the originall the moâ—e unlike they grow if you draw a picture by the originall by the person himselfe it may be something like but draw another picture from that picture though it may be like the picture yet it is lesse like the person and the further you goe from the originall the more unlike it is that if at last you come to compare the picture with the person though one picture might resemble another yet the last picture was nothing like the person now there is no way to rectifie this but bring this picture to the person to the originall and there upon comparison with it to mend it We have had too much of this divinity in our times first we have drawne plat formes out of the word then built upon them and drawn deductions and consequences from them and then consequences from those consequences till at last they be nothing agreeable to the originall the word of God Now God suffers errours to arise most of which will be found to be bottom'd upon false deductions and consequences drawne out of the word many opinions built and fastned on them And God suffers this to bring us back to the originall the word of God that there we might rectifie all We have taken up too many things on trust and our faith hath been too much built upon man the judgements writings and opinions of men which are but sandy foundations God whips us from it now by suffering so many errours to arise and all this to bring his people to the word to live upon the word that our faith might be resolved into God and not man Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them 4. A fourth mercifull end God suffers it to commend his love to them in preserving them from the poison and infection of errour to give you a tast and experience of his goodnesse in keeping of you that you are not carried aside with the wayes of errour And this doth exceedingly take the heart and raise it up to praise him Oh saith the soule Lord others of greater parts and greater abilities thou hast suffered to be led away and carried away with errour how comes it that thou hast preserved me This sets off and commends Gods love and raiseth up the heart in praises 5. A fifth mercifull end to discover to us that it is not by our own strength we stand but by the strength of Christ As we are kept in grace so we are preserv'd in truth and the Apostle tells us We are kept by the mighty power of God through faith When you see errours to abound and see them prevaile with so many others men of greater parts and abilities when you reade that they shall prevaile with them that shall perish oh this makes the soule keep close to Christ and herein doth God discover it is not our strength but his whereby we are preserved in a way of truth and kept from errour 6. A sixth mercifull end to make us prize truth more while we live nothing doth so much inhâ—nch and raise the esteeme of truth then errour It may be before you had low esteemes of the truths of God you did not value them and priâ—e them as you ought you cast them aside but now you take them lay them up hide them in your hearts you value of a truth as your best riches your honour your treasure the comfort in life and support in death When there are many false pearles false stones abroad it will make men gather up the true ones and if he have such to value of them When there is much counterfeit and light gold abroad it will make men to value of good gold you shall see good gold such as hath abidden the touchstone it is all gathered up and preserved at such a time as this is So when errours are abroad truth is then of value oh then every truth is entertained Before truth was looked upon but found little entertainment if it got any it was in our houses in bookes or in our heads only but now it finds welcome and entertainment in the heart Naked truth suffering truth persecuted truth it is now entertained truth is welcome any way And it is now own'd in the authority of it in the Majesty of it as a King to rule and governe us we will not rule it no more but it shall rule us It is own'd in the latitude of it in the extensivenesse of it extend it as farre as you will its welcome in its largenesse it is own'd in the universality of it all truth such as makes against you as well as such as makes for you they make for you in that they make against you for your soules though against your sins If ever truth be valued if ever it appeare worth something it is at those times when errours abound You see how the many false relations abroad doth make men value of a true relation if they can meete with a friend or a booke that speakes true and impartially they value much of it and what 's the reason because of the false relations abroad this heightneth the esteeme of truth So here the many errours abroad is a great meanes to heighten and advance truth and to make that great And therefore God doth permit errour to advance truth that truth may be more glorious in it selfe and more glorious to us 7. A seventh mercifull end which God hath in suffering errours and erronious opinions to abound is to make his people watchfull and wary of what they doe receive There are many glorious truths to be revealed towards the end of the world great things are spoken of the latter dayes for glorious revelations of the truths of God And there is many dangerous and fearfull errours that shall come abroad at that time too as Christ doth here foretell And it is a greater mercy there should be many then if there were but few if there were but few we should take them in with truth but being many divers of all kinds it makes the people of God watchfull and carefull what they entertaine There are so many truths now to be made known at the end of all things that if there should not be many
second ground men are carried away with errour the first was incident to the godly this is proper to the wicked only A godly man may entertaine an errour out of weaknesse of head but not out of wickednesse of heart A godly man he entertaines an errour with honest affections and to honest ends and a wicked man entertains a truth with corrupt affections and for corrupt ends He is carried naturally to errour he is nothing else but darknesse and errour but he goes not to truth without a byasse To that which is evil he hath a naturall motion a principle within carries him but to that which is good he is mooved by weights either feares or hopes Naked evil he can close withall but truth must have a baite else he hath no heart to it Godlinesse is no gaine he thinks uâ—lesse he can make a gaine by godlinesse as he will forsake truth to preserve his estate so he will entertaine errour to gaine an estate men will make all serviceable to that which is their God Mammon is his God and therefore all is serviceable to that he will either wave truth or embrace errour upon this ground to advantage himselfe We say all other desires they are serviceable to the great desire Caeterae cupiditates ingenti cupiditati subservient what ever is a mans master-desire all the rest are servants to it as all other lusts they are serviceable to the master-lust c. Now Mammon the world is his master-desire and therefore all other vailes to it and serves it To be short he is a man who mooves not out of himselfe selfe is the spring and principle and selfe is the end of all his motions When he receives a truth he will aske what it can doe for him before he bid it welcome and so when he entertaines an errour here is the difference some truths he will not receive upon any termes and those he doth entertaine they shall bid high and offer largely before they shall be welcome but now errour shall be entertained at low rates even at any hand he will not stick with it it is his friend his flesh and bloud Corrupt men they seldome scruple errours but they scruple entertainment of truth I have heard some to scruple to goe to prayers in their family and they say Where have we a word for it its superstition and will-worship and yet they have never scurpled to drinke to bezzle Some who never scrupled to sweare oathes enough but yet scruple a religious oath The Jews scrupled not to murther Christ but scrupled to have him hang on the crosse because of the preparation to the Sabbath Mens scruples of conscience are oftentimes the punishment of their loosenesse of conscience I shall proceed no farther upon this It would be endlesse to set down the many grounds which corrupt hearts have for the entertainment of errour And because I have spoken already much to this purpose upon a former inquiry I shall therfore shut up this and come to the next question propounded which is the fourth generall laid downe Quest. 4. Who those are that are in danger to be carried away and led aside with errour Before I come to give a full answer to this we will premise three or foure things which may be serviceable to the more cleere and distinct answer 1. There is no man can plead immunity from all kinde of errours there is not a man but is in danger to be led aside with some errour or other as we say of sin â—in atham asher lo jechate there is no man which sins not so we may of errour there is no man who errs not There is no man on earth who hath an unerring priviledge an unerring spirit no not all men on earth together not Fathers Synods Counsells but are subject to errour as is confessed by all and largely proved against the Papists that is the first that no man can pleade an immunity and freedom from any kinde of errour Nemo sine crimine nemo sine errore are alike 2. That even the best men are subject to the worst of errours I say the best men on earth are subject to the worst of errours Subject I say what 's that that is they are incident to them they are liable to them that 's something as our bodies are incident to all sicknesse so our soules to all sin and errour too But that is not all to be subject to errour is not only to be incident to it but be inclinable and that 's more A man may be incident to many sicknesses which yet he is not inclinable unto inclinablenesse doth not only imply a passive capacity in the subject but a prepared disposition As in hard wax there is a passive capacity but in soft wax there is a prepared disposition to receive the impression of the seale And in saying the best of men are in themselves subject to the worst of errours I do not only meane they are incident but inclinable they have not only a passive capacity to be corrupted but they have a prepared disposition as to sin in practice so to errour in judgement yet this inclinablenesse is not alike in all it is capable of degrees not as it is by nature for so all are equally corrupted but as some have improved their corruptions more then other some are more inclinable and some to one errour more then another 3. That though none can pleade immunity from all kinde of errours nay though the best of men may be subject to the worst of errours in themselves yet are the Saints secured from such kinde of errours by the grace of Christ though they are subject to all yet they are secured from some I say by the grace of Christ I have formerly told you from that 1 Cor. 3.10 that there was foundation-truths and building-truths so there are foundation-errours and building-errours damning and defiling errours all errours are defiling but all are not damning all are dangerous but all are not destructive Though the godly are incident to defiling yet Christ hath secured them from damning errours though they may be carried away for a time with sinfull and dangerous errours yet hath Christ fenced them from destructive and undoing errours And this I conceive expressed in these two places Joh. 10.4 5. The sheepe follow him for thâ—y know his voice but a stranger they will not follow for they know not the voice of a stranger This place by all Interpreters is taken for following Christ in doctrinall truths and it must be meant of necessary or fundamentall not of accessary and building-truths It must be meant of such doctrinall points as are essentiall to salvation and the being of godlinesse not to such which are lesse necessary and are only of the welbeing of a Christian for if you looke there even the sheep of Christ have followed the voice of a stranger embraced errour instead of truth as I could instance in all ages which hath arisen
God in Scripture And here I must tell you it is a knotty Question and of great concernment the issues may be dangerous on both sides if the results be that Synods are to judge it will be said there will be danger of subjecting mens consciences to the determinations of men if that every one are to doe it then will there be danger of confusion It is a tickle point and more need of your prayers for Gods assistance Now then for the answers of this Question that I may not beat the air and speak at randome there will be a necessity of premising some distinctions 1. Concerning Judges 2. Concerning points to be judged 1. Concerning Judges As we say of judgement so we may say of Judges There is a two-fold judgment and there are two-fold Judges 1. There is a two-fold judgement 1. Ministeriall 2. Rationall Judgment Reynolds in his conference with Hart cap 2. div 2 p. 100. midle of it Or there is 1. A Judgement in foro externo or publico a publike and authoritative judgement in Synods Councels Assemblies 2. There is a judgement in foro interno or privato a private and self-directive judgement in the Court of conscience And this distinction is founded upon the Word of God it hath footing there The first viz. Ministeriall judgement or that publike authoritative decision in Councels or Synods you may see it plain to have its footing in the Word of God Look to Act. 15. here was the occasion of this convention much trouble of the Churches concerning some difficult points and errours spread ver 2. then here 's messengers sent from the Churches and here 's the matter of a Synod Apostles and Elders of severall Churches here 's the forme assembling together here 's the end of it after much debate to clear and settle the truth Act. 15. â—8 Act. 16.4 here was the determination of the doubt with authority to binde the Churches For the 2d viz. private rationall or self-directive judgement in the Court of conscience I have clear'd that to you by many Scriptures 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good which I have shewed you to be a charge to all Christians 1 Joh 4.1 Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God yea or no And the example of the Bereans who were yet commended for trying and examining the doctrines of the Apostles themselves Act. 17.11 the Apostle injoyns us Let every man be fully perswaded in his own minde Ro. 14.5 And if so then is he to examine and judge And great reason for this will not bear us out to say that Authority commanded a Councel determined it and therefore I obeyed I submitted the Papists indeed say this will bear a man out in a way of errour but Christ saith If the blinde leade the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch And the Apostle tels us that wâ—ll not excuse us that we followed the determinations of Councels of Synods For every man shall bear his own burthen Gal. 6.5 Nay and every man shall give an account of himself to God Rom. 14.12 So that you see this distinction of ministeriall and rationall publike and private judgment and Judges is founded in the Word of God We come to the second and that is to distinguish of points to be judged they are not all alike I will give you these distinctions of doctrine to be judged 1. Some are Doctrines of faith Some are Doctrines of worship And both these admit of their severall distinctions too 1. The doctrines of faith they are either such as are Fundamentall or Superstructive Doctrines I say these are either foundation-truths or building-truths And building-truths are such as are either More necessary or Accessory Accessory truths are such as are either More Evident and clear Or More Ambiguous and doubtfull Those more ambiguous and doubtfull are so either In themselves or To us 2. The Doctrines of Worship and those are such as concern Either 1. Internall worship and so they come under the Doctrines of faith 2. Externall and so they fall under the externall regiment or government of the Church The Doctrines of externall worship are either Essentiall or Circumstantiall Essentiall are those things which belong to the distinction of offices the choice of Officers and execution of them c. Circumstantiall are such as may be added for order for the commodity and profit of the people viz. time place hours In disciplina ecclesiastica distinguamâ—â— ea qua sunt fundamentalia ab accessoriis levioribus fundamentalia sunt haec ut legitimae vocationes personaruÌ„ retineantuâ— veluti pastores presbyteri diaconi ut ij legitime electi suo munere fungantur vel dâ—ponantur removeantur Accessoria dico quae ut haec fiant observentur in ecclesia quaque pro teÌ„pore c. Danaeus in 1 Tim. 5.13 p. 289. with such like And that these distinctions also are founded upon the Word of God I might shew you at large The distinctions of Doctrines of faith and worship they are the summe of Christian Religion Fides cultus faith and worship are the two generall heads of Christian Religion spread thorow the whole Scripture And concerning the Doctrines of faith the distinction of foundation and building-doctrines you may see plain 1 Cor. 3.10 11 12. I have laid the foundation but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid Jesus Christ There is the great foundation-truth Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble Here are building-truths of which there is distinction some precious stones some gold some but silver The hay and stubble are errours and erroneous doctrines built upon a good foundation bad consequences drawn from good conclusions bad superstructions upon a good foundation So that you see there is footing for those distinctions I might shew the like of the Doctrines of worship those that are Essentiall and those that are Circumstantiall This distinction hath also countenance in the Word of God And for the Essentials of discipline there is mention made in the Word but for the other they are left to the prudence and wisdom of the Churches And now having propounded these necessary distinctions I come to the Answer of the Question Who is to judge of Gods minde in the Word And here we must runne over all the distinctions we have named There will be need of all for the clearing of the point First I told you that there was a ministeriall publike and authoritative judgement and there was a rationall * Dantur errores duplices quidam sunt fundamentales quâ—â—â— ipsum fidei fundamentum consequenter salutis aeternae possessio tollitur quidam sunt mâ—â—us principales non tam de fiâ—e quam circa fidem quibus nec ipsum fundamentum destruitur nec salutis adeptio anceps
to my faith and understanding M. Reynolds 110. Psal 273 274. Whitak cent 1. Jam. 1.5 Dixit aliquis patruÌ„ se orando magis quaÌ„ studeÌ„do ac legendo in cognitioneÌ„ Scripturarum prosecisse Aug in l. Scal para c 2. Orationi lectio lectioni succedar oratio Hieron ad Lâ—tam The Church of God is called The pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.16 not that which gives being to truth nor that which gives authority to truth but the Church is the depository of truth the orb out of which this glorious light shineth the Candle-stick which holds the light the pillar not so much to hold up as to hold forth truth as the Law and Proclamation of Christ it doth not hold up the authority of it but bear witnesse to that authority in it 4. The fourth way is to goe to God by prayer and desire him who is the father of light to reveal the way of truth to thee Jam. 1.5 Are such and such things doubtfull Thou lookest upon many opinions abroad and thou art brought to a stand thou knowest not what to determine the cases are very doubtfull goe and strip thy self maked of self of by-ends of corrupt affections unbiasse thy self denude thy self before God and desire him to reveal his will to thee begg of him that he would lead thee into the way of all truth tell him he hath ingaged himself to teach thee he hath promised we shall all be taught of God he hath said He will lead us into the way of all truth urge God with his promise believe it conclude it either God will reveal it to thee or it is not necessary it should be known Cum Petro dicendum ediscere nobis Paraholam istam Hier. Non solum stuatuÌ„ nobis adhibeÌ„dum esse ad discendas literas sacras ve um supplicandum Domino diebus ac noctibus obsecrandum ut veniat agnus de tribu Iuda ipse accipiens librum signatum dignetur aperire Orig. Hom. 12. in Exo Cons Whit. p 397. Whitgift p. 3. p 77 81 82 83 84. Hooker l. 3. Sect. 2. Sutclive tract de dis c. 1. p. 5 Heb. 3.2 Cons Park l 2 c 39. per totum We read in Revel 5 9. That when John saw the book was clasped he fals down and weeps bitterly and then Christ comes and opens and unclasps the book thus let us doe are opinions doubtfull is the book clasped canst thou not read Gods minde in these and these things Oh fall down weep to him pray to him either I say again God will unclasp the book either he will unfold the doubt or assure thy self it is not necessary to be known And thus we come from the distinctions of the doctrine of faith to those we named of the doctrine of worship These I told you were either such as did concern internall worship of which I shall not speak or such as did concern externall worship viz. the outward Regiment of the Church of God in the world And I told you the doctrines of Gods externall worship were either such as were essential or such as were circumstantiall only Now if the Question be asked who shall judge of Gods minde in Scripture concerning the essentials of government It is hard to tell you who shall resolve you 1. Some say that doctrine only is contain'd in the Word and not discipline and that there is no particular and absolute form expresly prescribed in the Word nor yet any that can be made out of the word they lay this as a charge upon those who hold the contrary that they make Christ a Law-giver to his Church and do put no difference between Christ and Moses Indeed they may seem to come under a charge who make that comparison between Christ and Moses and say that as Moses had order for every pin in the tabernacle So Christ unlesse he was lesse exact then Moses and took lesse care of his Church under the new Testament then under the old left certain Rules for the ordering and regulating of all particulars in the Church of God an opinion very high and an expression very harsh 2. Others say there is a discipline in the Word but it is only morall not ecclesiasticall If that will not doe some goe farther and say there is an ecclesiasticall teaching but not an ecclesiasticall governing-discipline in the Word 3. Others say there are some foot-steps and rules of an ecclesiasticall Discipline in the Word Sutclive ib. but they are rather described then prescribed and those are neither perfect to which nothing may not be added nor immutable of which nothing can be altered but may be modified and tempered to the severall constitutions and tempers of States Kingdoms and Common-wealths as shall be seen convenient 4. Others say there are Essentials of government in the Word though not the circumstantials Danaeus in 1 Tim. 3.15 p. 169. etiam in 1 Tim. 5.13 p. 289. there are rules laid down for those things of chief concernment though not for things of a lesser and inferiour moment but amongst these here is this controversie whether those rules as touching essentials are immutable and unchangeable or whether they may be altered and changed according to the will of man and tempers of states 5. Others say there is a certain exact entire form of government prescribed in the Word of God and that not determined ad hic nunc to the Apostles daies the times of persecution and gathering of Churches but to be an unchangeable ordinance for the governing of Christs Church till his comming again And what that particular form is there is as much controversie one saith one another saith another Certainly if there be such an exact way in the Word its strange it cannot be found it 's a wonder it cannot be made out if it be it is no lesse wonder that those who are willing to open their eyes broad to let in light cannot yet be able to see To most men it appears a dark controversie and that there is not much in the Word to discover it if there be a great deal seems to be buried up in the dark and cannot be clearly made out It was once the speech of one that God had done by the externall government of the Church as he did by the body of Moses he hid it lest men should make an idoll of it Some doubt whether there be any such thing or no Cons Park l. 2. c. 41 42 43. others say if there be it s in the dark it 's hid but whether it be so or no this I am sure of it s made an Idol of men make that all and all the heats of their hearts are turn'd to contentions of the head I may say this controversie hath wrought more division in the hearts of Saints one towards another and more separation one from another and keeps them at greater distance in all the offices of love and hath more taken
holinesse of those who have been the Reformers and Institutours of such things And certainly it is a great advantage to an errour and prejudice to a truth the holinesse and loosnesse of those who are the maintainers and entertainers of it It is that which the Heathens alleadged against Christianity in the first times of the Gospel the sins of those who had received and made profession of it which the Apostle doth so often charge upon them that they caused the crosse of Christ and the Gospel of Christ to be blasphemed by their unworthy walking And it is that which the Turks doe say against the Christians at this day * â—cce quates suâ—t qui ChristuÌ„ colunt si bona discerent boni essent Christum legunt impâ—j sunt Christum oud â—nt inebriaÌ„tur Christum sequuntur iapiunt Sâ—l â—â—â—â— Behold the servants of the crucified God certainly if their way were truth their lives would not be so sinfull Insomuch that we may well say it is a great prejudice to the truth of God the disorderly walking of them that are the professours of it and it is a great advantage to an errour in the mindes of men the sanctity and holinesse of those who walk in it men are more led by practice then by rule by example then by argument by the eye then by the Word and this is their argument See their lives and by that you may judge of their opinions But we will come to the answer of the Question Whether the holinesse of those who are the publishers and receivers of an opinion be not a sufficient discovery that the opinion is a truth Before I answer give me leave in a word to distinguish of errour of truth and of holiness 1. There are fundamentall truths and building truths and so there is fundamentall and damning errours and dangerous and defiling errours all errours are not damning but all are dangerous and defiling 2. There is an appearing holinesse and a reall holinesse and so there is a religious strictnesse and a superstitious strictnesse one commanded of God the other taken up of man Now having laid down these two distinctions we will come to the answer and I will answer the Question in four Conclusions Concl. 1 Conclus 1. The appearing holinesse of those who hold an opinion is not enough to demonstrate it a truth A man may be in a dangerous I had like to have said damning errour and yet to the view of men appearingly holy Many men have put on a form of godlinesse and shew of holinesse till they have gotten strength and power enough to back them in their opinions and then they have discovered the venome of their spirits and let loose their spirits to those corrupt waies which their erroneous understandings did lead them to Arius as they write on him who yet held that damnable opinion against the Deity of Christ that Christ was not God he was a man in all appearance humble and holy insomuch that his holinesse drew many after him and those who received the opinion they were many of them of unblameable life and conversation but yet when they had gotten power on their side they acted their venome The like I might say of Nestorius Maniche c. And Arminius of late who in his time discovered much appearing holinesse and humility yet held dangerous errouâ—s It is the subtilty of Satan and the policy of the first promoters of opinions to difference themselves as much from others in life and conversation as they doe in judgâ—mâ—nt and opinion that so their errours might get more ground and finde better entertainment with others As the Pharisees made long prayers but it was to prey upon and devour widows houses they made the practice of holinesse but the cloak of their hypocrisie and the stalking horse to compasse their own ends So many doe walk in the waies of strictnesse but to set off their own wicked errours and advantage their opinions they know that an ill life will be disadvantagious to the receiving of their opinions and therefore put on a form of godlinesse but deny the power of it that they might the better advantage the reception of their errours But though some I say doe walk in a way of holines to set off those things which they know to be errours they put on a sheeps garment to deceive yet others though they be in an errour may apprehend it for a truth and with honest affections may walk holily to adorn their profession and make their doctrine more receptible in the hearts of others So that I say first the appearing holinesse and strictnesse of the maintainers and entertainers of an opinion is not enough to discover it a truth It is certain a man may be strict in an errour and yet a libertine in a truth though no truth doth make men libertines or countenance them in it yet some errours may make men strict strict I say not a religious strictnesse but a superstitious strictnesse strict not in observing the precepts of God but the traditions and prescriptions of men as the Pharisees were and many of the poor deluded Papists are And therefore no appearing strictnesse or holinesse can evidence an opinion to be truth I say appearing for you can goe no further you cannot difference between false and true between appearing and approved holinesse you know what Christ saith of them who justified themselves before men that is that walked unblameable before men That which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 Luk. 16.15 Concl. 2 Conclus 2. That a reall and approved holinesse is a sure note that the errour which they hold is not a damning destroying errour I say though the holines of those men that maintain an opinion be not a sure note that the opinion they maintain is a truth yet it is a certain evidence that it is not an undoing and destructive errour Christ saith That the elect shall not be deceived Mat. 24.24 Mat. 24.24 that is though they may be carried aside with some sinfull yet they shall not be drawn away with undoing errours And we have all the harmony of Scripture for that he tels us That they who doe his will shall know his doctrine Joh. 6.45 Joh. 7.17 Joh. 10.4 5 that we shall all be taught of God that we shall hear his voice and shall not follow the voice of strangers and that we have received an anointing of the holy One wherby we know all things Al which places are to be understood of necessary truths not accessory of truths that are essentiall and fundamentall not circumstantiall and it proves fully to us that God will never give up his holy ones to undoing errours That 's the second answer that holinesse is a sure note that the opinions which they hold though an errour yet it is not a damning and destroying errour Concl. 3 Conclus 3. Reall holinesse in the maintainers and
entertainers of an opinion it is a probable signe that the opinion is truth Indeed God doth not honour wicked men or men of corrupt hearts with the first discoveries of truth what they have they have from others A man may well suspect that opinion which a corrupt heart is the revealer of God reveals his hidden things to his hidden ones The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and the humble he will teach and guide in all truth as he tels us Psal 25.14 Psa 25.14 Other men have no promise of Gods making known his minde unto them nor are they under any condition for God to doe it But now the godly they are under a promise he hath said He will lead us into the way of all truth he hath told us we shall be taught of God and we are under the condition of such revelation for we are in Covenant with him and that 's one condition Jer. 31.33 Jer. 31.33 34. Isa 54.13 Joh. 15.15 Hos 6.3 34. We are his children that 's another Isa 54.13 We are his friends Joh. 15.15 We are such as seek him Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know he will reveal his minde to them that seek him And being under these gracious conditions we may expect that God should reveal his minde and truth to us So that is the third Answer Reall holinesse in the publishers and receivers of an opinion is a probable signe that the opinion is a truth I would not give too much to holinesse in this kinde for I am not to be led by any mans practice but Gods precepts but this I would say in doubtfull cases where there is not a clear rule in the Word though I would not submit my judgement nor give up my understanding to the opinion of any yet holinesse should prevail much with my affections and I should conclude it is either a truth or certainly it is no dangerous errour that these hold And if I should see two contrary opinions held by godly and holy men I would not goe about to dispute and debate which of them are most holy nor can I conclude that both are truths But this I would conclude that certainly neither of them are dangerous errours both of them are but circumstantiall truths This is a maxime God is never wanting to his Church and people in necessary truths nor doth he leave them to undoing errours And that 's the third Answer That reall holinesse is a probable signe the opinion such hold forth is a truth Conclus 4. Though a reall holinesse be a probable signe Concl. 4 that the opinion is a truth yet it is not an infallible evidence 1. The best men are but men and therefore not infallible not unerring what Whitaker said of the ancient Bishops a Etiam illi Episcopi qui martyres fuerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passi sunt Whit. cont 4. so I may say of all even the best of men they have their failings they have need of some grains of allowance Another speaking of the Fathers saith b Sancti quidem fuerunt sed tamen homi nei affectus suos habuerunt They were holy men but yet were but men and had humane affections and humane frailties Origen Tertullian Cyprian they were holy men c At qui isti in errores multos inciderunt but they fell into many errours d Qui verò pertinaciter eorum sententias desenderiit haeretici habiti sunt Tertullianistae Origenistae appellati Reynold cens Apoc. praelect 4. Jude v 16. And those who took them up and maintained them were called heretikes Tertullianists and Origenists The best men are but men and imperfect in knowledge the Apostle tels us we know but in part we have many corruptions which are too apt to byas us and lead us aside The best men the most godly may be led aside 1. Either from weaknesse of judgement for we know but in part 2. Or from partiality of affections 3. Or from over-weening the maintainers of an opinion It is a dangerous thing for us to have mens persons in admiration men are apt to take things upon trust from honest men 4. Or from the benigne and fair aspects which an opinion may carry thus the affections sometime work upon the understanding and gain the understanding not by demonstration but by allurement this is to bribe us and inveagle our judgements into an opinion not to reason and perswade us Certainly the lesse the understanding hath to deal with the affections and the affections with the understanding in the finding out truth and errour as I said before the safer and clearer is your way 5. Or from over-credulousnesse Or 6. From fear of denying a truth all which I spake to at large in the fore-going Discourse Certainly the best men may be led aside as men they are incident to errour as corruption in them inclinable Nay the Apostle tels us Rom. 16.18 By good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple Ro. 16 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hearts of them not evil as the word is As many followed Absolom in the simplicity of their hearts So there are many who may follow an errour not out of corrupt affections for by-ends or for advantage but even out of the simplicity of their hearts Men may have corrupt hearts in a truth and honest hearts in an errour that is honest ends and honest aims And so much for the fourth answer Though reall holinesse in the maintainers be a probable signe yet it is not an infallible evidence of the truth of an opinion And so much for the fourth Question we now come to the fift Qu. 5. Whether this be not sufficient to evidence an opinion to be true that it is held up and maintained by learned men and on the contrary to discover it an errour that it is maintained by illiterate and unlearned men It hath been the great argument the Papists have had all must needs be truth which such learned Doctours have held and again that must needs be an errour which is upheld and maintained by a sort of unlearn'd and illiterate men and we have had the same note sung to us Cons Park Polit. Eccl. l. 2. c. 20. c. And there are some places of Scripture which seem to favour it that the want of learning is a great cause that men run into many errours as you see 2 Pet. 3 16. where the Apostle speaking of Pauls Epistles he tels us That there are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable doe wrest as they doe also other Scriptures unto their own destruction By which the Apostle seems to inferre that the want of learning is the cause that many doe run into errour And yet if this place be conferr'd with other places it will appear not to make so much for that purpose but on the contrary
Apoc praeâ—ect 4. Origen and Tertullian did greatly excell in learning insomuch that the one was esteemed the chief of the Greeks and the other of the Latines yet they fell into many errours and those who held their opinions were judged Heretikes and called Tertullianists and Origenists c. Yet in this I say thus much that so farre as they have learn'd of the Spirit so farre as their learning is implanted so farre it judgeth truly but that which is ours and the improvement of our knowledge by industry and diligence that improved knowledge is subject to errour and mistake The Father may leave his childe a good stock and well gotten but the childe may fail in his improvement of it his additions to it may be faulty The first stock is Gods and that is light in main things he gives his people an unerring an infallible light in essentiall and fundamentall truths or truths necessary to salvation but now the improvement of this stock is ours the additions and accretions to it in accessory and circumstantiall truths and herein we are subject to fail and erre Thus I have answered this Question Whether it be not enough to discover an opinion to be a truth that it is maintained and upheld by learned men c. But least you may think I have been too abstruse that I may speak plain to all take in these three things Learning then I say cannot be a conclusive evidence of truth 1. Because all learned men are not gracious men 2. Because learning without grace is but the forge of errour such men they are for the most part self-conceited part-proud and the pride of the head is a dangerous engine for errour 3. The most learned and the most gracious men may erre as I shewed before I see this spirit in many men that they are great admirers of learning indeed some give too little to it as well as others too much to it some wildly crie down all learning as if it were a prejudice and utterly disserviceable to the finding out of truth in divine things Indeed learning without grace is a forge for errour and an engine against the truth but if you take learning only as we speak it for the improvement of holy reason by the helps of Arts of Sciences tongues and the writings of men there is no Question to be made of it but that learning viz. holy reason thus improved is a great a mighty advantage to the finding out the minde of God and the want of this is the cause why men run headlong into many errours and for ought I see to the contrary that place of St Peter 2 Pet. 3.16 2 Pet. 3.16 where the Apostle speaks of some things hard and difficult in Pauls Epistles Which unlearned and unstable men doe wrest as they doe other Scriptures to their own perdition I say for ought I see to the contrary unlearned in that place may be taken in this latitude which I speak though it 's true those who have not this learning if they have this inward teaching shall never wrest Scriptures to their perdition they shall never erre and continue to erre damnably yet may they erre dangerously And we see this to be true in every daies experience the knowledge of divine things is exceedingly increased Pâ—â—ker de polâ—t ecclâ—â— 2. c 18 p 244. the hidden things of God are revealed truths revealed and confirmed errours discovered and condemned and the perusall of godly and learned men together with the study meditation and debate of things may much improve mens holy reason and strengthen men in the truths fence men against errour the want of which may render men lesse able to stand against the Sopâ—istries of men and more endanger men to be carried away with the stream of errour So that I would not be apprehended to speak against learning under that notion that is the use of any thing which might improve our holy reason and make us able to convince gain-sayers We have to deal with subtill Sophisters and there is need of the utmost of the improvement of reason in divine things But I speak against those who would give too much to it men are all in extreams Is there no middle between too much admiring of it and contemptuous despising of it though it doe not evidence where it is there is truth yet is it of no use to finde out truth Because gold is not good to eat is it not therefore good to buy meat So because learning is not truth is it not therefore serviceable to finde out truth Julian Indeed there are some give too little to it and there are some again which give too much Some that doe not give the least weight to it to cast the balance and others that are ready to resign up their faith and judgement to the learning of others if they see men of learning though they be not able to judge of it they are ready to resign up themselves and yeeld up look and key to them and let them take possession and have full dominion over their faith and consciences Most men are led by blinde obedience and implicite faith in divine things and seeing they will resigne up their understandings they act their reason thus farre that they will resigne up their judgements to those they apprehend most learned they will be of their opinions and of their judgements though they can say no more for it but that such a man saies so it is the opinion of such a learned man I tell you this is as blinde obedience as implicite faith as any is in Rome To conclude this Question there is both danger and folly in this too much admiration of learning 1. There is danger in it you are endangered to resigne up your judgement and faith to them which you are not to doe you are not to make any men the Masters of your faith you see how the Apostle abominaâ—â—d that when he saith 2 Cor. 7. We are not Masters of your faith but helpers of your joy You are not to give up your faith your conscience to the doctrines or opinions of men though the best the holiest the learnedst of men as I have shewed you at large 2. There is great folly in it 1. You are neither able to judge of learning 2. Nor is learning able to judge of truth If you will aske all the learned men in the world out of the Church they will tell you the Gospel is foolishnesse And if you will aske many of them in the Church there are many precious truths which they judge folly and the rest they receive them by tradition or as the received doctrine of the age they live in their knowledge in divine things it is gotten up by industry even as the knowledge in any Art or Science and it is but the improvement of their reason not the revelation of the Spirit If learning alone were a competent Judge of truth and errour and that
learned men were faithfull to their light and would not be byassed or corrupted for a world then one would thinke it some wisdom to resigne up our judgement to such and be of their opinion but first it is not a competent judge Christ tels us there is a learning from which truths are concealed and hid he blessed his Father Who hid these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to babes And secondly learned men are not uninterested men they have corruptions in them and this doth bias them often times to the maintaining of errour and opposing truth and therefore dangerous Nay though there be grace as well as learning yet they are subject to passions they have corruptions in them and how farre those may work in the delivering of truth or opposing errour how farre their fears and hopes their pride may work you know not And therefore though they were learned and holy men yet you are not to resign up your faith and judgements to their opinions 1 Thess 5.21 1 Joh. 1.4 but are to trie all things and prove the spirits whether they be of God or no. And thus much shall serve for the answer to the fifth Question one more and we will conclude the false marks the sixt Question then is this Qu. 6. Whether this be sufficient to discover an opinion erroneous or declare it to be a truth the multitude or the paucity of them who are the divulgers and maintainers of it It is you know the great Argument the Papists have and therefore they set it down as one note of the true Church the multitude of professours And though it was opposed against the Papists yet was it an Episcopall argument against the reformed Churches * Mos totius orbis omniuÌ„ teraporum ecclesiarum potior esse debet eo qui est exigui populi parvi temporis Sarar Cons Park de polit eccles l. 2 c. 35 p. 297. 298. etiam l 2 c 6 7. That which hath been the custom of the whole world and of all times of the Churches ought to be more desirable then such a discipline which is maintained by a few and is but of late standing Again It is most just and equall that seeing the number of the reformed are but few they should yeeld unto the other who are many yea and many of them in authority and office in Church and Common-wealth Another speaks yet plainer a AbsurduÌ„ est Deum velle inspirare unum potius quaÌ„ multos Sutâ—l It is absurd to thinke that God should inspire one man rather then many by which expressions of theirs it may seem too evident that though they opposed this argument of the Papists and b In rebus fidem concerneÌ„tibus judicium unius private hominis praeferenaum est Papae toti Concilio si ille moveatur meltoribus rationibus authoritatibus N V. Testam D. White citing Panormitan against the Papists held it forth to be of no weight when they were to deal with them because the Papists might glory most in multitude yet they esteemed it of some weight against the reformed Churches they being farr lesse in number then they were It shews a cause to be weak when they have recourse to such poor weapons and that surely there is not much to maintain it when such arguments as are taken from number and multitude are made use of But to come to the answer of the Question which I conceive will not require much pains The Question is Whether this be sufficient to discover an opinion erroneous or to declare it to be a truth the multitude or paucity of them who are the divulgers and maintainers of it I shall answer this in brief 1. If by multitude be meant the greater number of mankinde then it is a certain evidence of errour The greatest number of mankinde lies in darknesse and errour as St John saith 1 Joh. 5.19 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole world lies in wickednes If you divide the world into four parts you will finde above three parts to be Pagans Heathens Mahometans Idolaters Atheists how few will be the residue Alas they are but a few in the North-east passages that doe professe and acknowledge a Christ and of those how few 2. If by multitude be meant the greatest number of men in the Church who doe adhere to an opinion neither will this be sufficient to discover it a truth And that upon these two grounds 1. Because the greatest number they are ignorant and so are not able to judge of truth and errour blinde men cannot discern of colours they want knowledge to discern of things that differ they are not able to try nor upon triall are they able to determine 2. Because the greatest number they are corrupt and vicious they are for the most part either Atheisticall or prophane or proud and ambitious men or worldlings covetous hypocrites formall professours If you look upon the multitude they adhere to doctrines 1. Either out of ignorant grounds 2. Or out of corrupt ends 1. Out of ignorant grounds viz. because this was the way of their Fathers and they doe traditionally adhere to it or because such men whom thâ—y respect and honour are in that way or because it is commended to them by the learned or prescribed and commanded by authority Indeed it is an easie matter to make any thing of the multitude they are soft wax in regard of their religion and can receive any impression they are fit for any stamp their superiours will put upon them they are but a body and authority is their soul which moves them which way they pleâ—sâ— in point of Religion truth and errour are all one to them It is an easie matter to make them any thing who are indeed nothing It was a heavie charge was cast upon us by our right hand adversaries that England was converted from Popery to Protestanisme by the blast of one trumpet In Q. Maries daies they were Papists and upon her death within an hour after as soon as Qu. Elizabeth was proclaimed here was a Kingdom of Protestants a nation was converted at once Though this charge is not true in all for after her Coronation besides Commissioners sent unto all parts to deface all the monuments of Idolatry Vid. The most grave and modest confuâ—aâ—ion puâ—lâ—shed by Mâ—st Rathbone p. 10. there were Ministers sent about to preach the Word of God viz. Knox Leave Gilby Sampson Whitingham Goodman who in Q. Maries daies had exercised their Ministery in the best reformed Churches beyond the seas who were now sent out to gather the people to the Lord to discover the errours of Popery to reduce men to the knowledge of the truth And upon the meeting of a Parliament those acts which were formerly made in Qu. Maries daies were repealed and the doctrine of truth again with Religion established And it were well to avoid this charge if Ministers were sent thorow the Kingdom at
this time with Commission to preach and instruct men in waies of worship to reveal to men the truth and prepare mens hearts that so when things come to be setled we might not if possible have any to yeeld to things with implicit faith and blinde obedience It was the practice of good Hezekiah when he restored the worship of God 2 Chron. 29. beg he sent out Posts like to Evangelists to prepare the people and to humble them for their revoltings and to reduce them to the worship of God And if this be not done 2 Chro 29. beg compared with the 2 Chro. 30.6 7. we may fear either great opposition in men or else blinde submission and implicit obedience 2. Or the multitude adheres to doctrines out of corrupt ends As the Ivy adheres to the tree not because it loves the tree but because the tree feeds it with berries and leaves it adheres to it for its own advantage because out of it it may suck berries So doe most men adhere to Religion and doctrine Or as the winde follows the abundance of exhalations So they go where there is the most advantage to be got indeed innumerable are the corrupt ends that corrupt minded men propound to themselves in the entertaining doctrine some out of fear others out of faction a third for repute the most for profit and advantage all speak this language Who will shew us any good It was the great Argument of the Craftsmen of Diana why they adhered to that Idolatry By this craft we have all our gain And it is a great motive to a carnall heart he that hath no principle of motion and life within he either stands still or is moved with the crowd or if he have any motion of his own something without him is the spring of it The multitude is a great body and a dull body and indeed hath no motions of it 's own it is carried about meerly with weights and the great weights are outward things which taken off there is no motion at all they are like the dead sea and cannot stirre So that you see if we goe about to take up our judgement of truth or errour from the multitude of them who adhere to it how dangerous it is to be mistaken 3. If by multitude be meant the greater number of holy and learned men in the Church of God I say then this is a probable signe though no infallible evidence that the opinion held forth is a truth 1. I say it is a probable signe I have told you God doth never desert his people in necessary essentiall truths He hath promised they shall be taught of God and they have an unction of the holy One whereby they know all things that is all things necessary to salvation And for accessory and circumstantiall truths It is a probable signe that the things which upon impartiall search and debate they hold forth are truths though it be not sufficient for us to conclude them so because they have determined so but we are to examine and search whether they be so or no. I say it is a probable signe but we are not to submit to it as their judgement but are to see the judgement of God in them Cons Park l. 2 c. 11. de authoritate PatruÌ„ not to conclude our selves upon the authority of men unlesse we see the authority of God in them 2. Though it be a probable signe yet it is not an infallible evidence We all know that godly and learned men have yet much darknesse in their understanding they doe but know in part none can plead an unerring spirit none are infallible I have shewed you that Synods and Councels may erre What David confessed he spake in haste we may speak upon best deliberation so farre as men All men are liars As the learnedst men have darknesse in their understanding so they have corruption in their hearts there is self and pride and corrupt aims and ends which may creep into the hearts of the best And how farre God may suffer men to be byassed by these things it is not for man to determine how farre corrupt aims and ends may winde themselves into the heart and bribe a mans understanding or blinde his sight it is not for man to judge they who are most acquainted with their hearts doe finde cause enough to be jealous and suspect them yea and upon known experience And therefore though the multitude of godly and learned men concurring in an opinion to be a truth though it may be a probablâ— signe yet can be no infallible evidence that what they hold forth is a truth I say it is no concluding evidence There may be cases wherein one man may be in the truth and yet many godly and learned men may be in an errour * Vnâ—â— Puphnutius toâ—um Concilium Nicaâ—â—um direxit Niceph. l. 8 c. 19. Eliâ—s nuâ—s erat sed totus mundus non erat dignus qui rependeretur ipsi Chr. One Paphnutius was in the truth when the whole Councel of Nice were in an errour they were learned men and it appears they were godly by their humble submitting of themselves to better reason though but one man brought it they were not so partiall as to adhere to their own votes nor were they so proud as not to recede from their opinions and be concquered by truth nor did they stand upon their number when they saw truth against them One naked truth should conquer them and make them throw down their weapons and one man having truth with him should be too big for that great Assembly they did not plead their number their votes and the multitude which adhered to them but as men that came to search out truth not victory they yeelded up themselves to the power and conquest of it A mighty argument of their humility and sincerity Indeed we are not to measure truth by the number of votes but by the authorities of Scripture a Nos numero sen â—enitam noÌ„ metimur Verâ—tas numero non astimatur vel unuâ— qui veritatem habet sufficienter munitur adversus totum mundum Mat. D. White de eccl l. 30 p. 127. Whit. cont 2. q. 5. c. 5. We doe not judge of truth by the number of men though a man be alone yet if he have the truth with him he is sufficiently armed against the whole world One Micheas having the truth with him was too hard for the 400. Prophets who were in an errour 1 King 22.15 Indeed it is not impossible that one man should be in the truth and many in an errour nor is it absurd to prefer the judgment of one man in the truth before many in an errour It was well spoken of Augustine a Si justus es noli numerare sed appende stateram afferaequaÌ„ non dolesaÌ„ Aug. in Ps 39. If thou would passe right judgment of an opinioÌ„ do not number but weigh weigh not in the false
balance of the multitude but in the balance of truth the Word of God This is certain b Veritas neque à nultis neque à paucis pendet Park l. 2. p. 253. Truth doth neither depend on many nor few And therefore we are not to goe by number of votes and voices in finding out of truth but by the authorities of Scripture we are not here to goe by the pol but by the line the Word of God To the Law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this the light is not in them most voices are not here to carry it but enquire What saith the answer of God You know if the diall be not set by the Sunne you care not what it saith So if men be not guided by the Word it 's no matter what they say though they be myriads of men that speak it Indeed we may give too little and too much to multitude 1. We give too little when the concurrent opinions and deliberate thoughts of a number of godly learned and holy men is of no weight with us when we will reject their results ignorantly wilfully without an impartiall debate and examination of them an honour that you give to the opinions I may say the errours of men of no name Certainly as you are not to submit to the judgement of any Assembly or company of the learnedst and holiest men with a blinde obedience So neither are you to reject their results and determinations with a perverse will you are to try them and be so farre from unprejudiced thoughts that you are charitably to judge that probably so many holy and learned men are not in an errour probably they are in the truth and if you thinke otherwise before triall and debate you give too little to them and it is your sin 2. We give too much to multitude and number 1. Either when we judge of an opinion to be truth because the promiscuous multitude doth adhere to it 2. Or when we blindly subscribe to an opinion for truth because many learned and holy men are the Patrons and maintainers of it 1. When we judge of an opinion to be truth because the promiscuous multitude abundance in the Church adhere to it And this is indeed the great errour men are carried away with the crowd they are not able to stand against the stream they are carried down with the multitude and the number of them in the way is the great argument that concludes them in it also Christ tells us here in the text That many shall come in his Name and say they are Christ and shall deceive many Here you are told there may be a multitude of seducers and a multitude of seduced they shall deceive many And it is the worst of arguments to prove truth by multitude It is a passage of Chrysostom * In theatris multitudo quaeratur Multitudo nota ecclesiae ac proindè veritatis noÌ„ est quia ecclesia saepe in paucis confistit deinde quia multitudo malorum impiorum major est post reâ—â—ò faâ—sa Religio majora occupavit spatia quaÌ„ vera Chry. ad pop Antioch â—om 26. The multitude can be no true Character of the truth and he gives three reasons 1. Because the Church of God doth consist in a few 2. Because the number of wicked men are the greatest 3. Because errour hath gotten more ground then truth the possessions and territories of errour doe farre exceed the bounds of truth you know there are more tares then wheat in Gods field more Goats then sheep in his fold more chaff then corn in his floor more bad fishes then good in his net if Atheisticall prophane men unbelievers proud ambitious men coverous and worldly persons hypocrites and formall professours were singled out the residue would be but few you would see ground why Christ calls his flock a little flock a small remnant and to take up the complaint of the Prophet that the number was but as the gleanings of grapes after the vintage is over but as the shaking of an Olive-tree after the fruit is gathered even one of a City two of a Tribe and to say with Christ Broad is the gate that leads to death and many there be that enter thereat but narrow and strait is the gate which leads to life and few there be which enter therein So that you see if we take up judgement of truth by the number of men in the Church that adhere to it we may be mistaken we are commanded not to follow a multitude to evil * Quae nam precor utilitas est multuÌ„ esse foenum quaÌ„ paucos lapides praeciosos non in numeri multitudine sed in virtutis probitate multitude consistit There is much drosse little gold much hay and stubble and little precious stones If there be any validity in this argument of number it is not in the weight but in the worth a Non in quantitate molis sed in qualitate virtutis Non salvat Christianum quod pontifex dicit praeceptum suum esse justum sed oâ—o tet illud examinare atque se iuxta regulaÌ„ superius dataÌ„ dirigere Ger. Laicus temerè doctoribus ecclesia credere non debeat sed coriaÌ„ doctrinas examinare praesertiuâ— cum populi aures sacerdotum cordibus sape sanctiores sim Hieronâ— Epist. not in the bulk or quantity but in the worth and quality of the persons that are the maintainers of it And yet therein we may erre also which is the second way whereby we give too much to multitude When we blindely subscribe to an opinion for truth because many learned and holy men are the Patrons and maintainers of it I have clear'd this to you at large that it is the duty of every Christian to examine not only the private opinions of private men but the sentences definitions debates of Synods and Councels and to embrace or reject them as they shall appear consonant and dissonant to the rule of truth the Word of God And the Scriptures are plain for it we are commanded to try all things 1 Thess 5.21 And not to believe every spirit 1 Joh. 4.1 and to search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Isa 8.20 And the Bereans were commended for the same notwithstanding the doctrine they examined was the doctrine of the Apostles Act. 17.11 And it will not be sufficient for you to say you followed the doctrines of your leaders Christ tells you If the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditch And therefore we shall give too much to a number of holy and learned men to drinke in and receive what ever they doe propound to subscribe our judgement to their positions without further debate and examination of them though the things be truths yet we erre in our way of closing with them we give blinde obedience and implicit faith to them we make men the masters of our faith which wrongs God and injureth
religion is the great distance and disunion there may be onenesse in heart and affections in lesser differences but differences of such height as Christ or not Christ when they doe arise so high as to un-Christ un-Church nay ungrace men as that opinion in a kinde doth that holds forth Christ It is a hard thing to keep onenesse of affection men that have salvation and eternity in their eye the glory of Christ their aim it is a hard thing to perswade them to take it well if they un-Christ them and ungrace them It is not probable that a man should be well pleased to have another spit in his face condemn his principles and practice and upon so high grounds when yet a man is perswaded upon knowing and conscientious grounds so farre as appears to him that he is in the right We may say what we will and wish and pray but this will be found that men of different Creeds will hardly be of one Pater noster Men differing upon so high grounds as what can be higher they can hardly be of the same affection In lesser and smaller differences they may but in so high differences when an opinion is held forth for Christ it will be more hard to turn all disaffection into pity if they apprehend them in an errour then to renounce their own and embrace theirs if it were apprehended to be a truth Men pity a persecuted errour or men persecuted in an errour but they enviâ— a prospering errour or men prospering in a way of errour That which raiseth the difficulty is the prosperousnesse and successefulnes of that which they do apprehend an errour when they see it to succeed to draw away the hearts of the most godly holy the best of their people it will be no easie matter in stead of disaffection to act pity to them and because they apprehend them to act affections rather then judgement in entertaining of them therefore they act disaffection rather then pity in the rejecting of them Happy were we if the grounds of their opinions were thorowly examined and impartially searched who do hold them forth under this notion Loe here is Christ and if true embrace them or that they who hold them up upon so high terms would convey them in a more low and humble manner seeing so many godly learned dissent from them if which be not there will be I fear the seed of as great differences among the godly as ever was in the Church and as much disaffection Assure your selves Christ or not Christ will be a great parting and dividing stone both to divide persons and affections I speak this with a bleeding heart fore-seeing the sad and miserable affects of it if this difference be not happily taken up God knows what a foundation of future misery will be laid for future generations The differences between Luther and Calvin were not so great but they might have been easily taken up in their time but posterity quickly turned these differences in judgement to the decisions of the hand and it hath been the ground of raising many a warre and shedding of the blood of thousands whose differences might easily have been composed at the first This remains a sad spectacle to us and all Christian Churches and makes me tremble to thinke what future times will be if God doe not mercifully unite hearts which should put men to pray to study an accord and not to fuell and heighten our differences and make them unreconciliable 4. Dangerous are these opinions if errours because they passe the highest censure upon those which doe dissent from them he that saith of any opinion or way Loe here is Christ doth negatively censure and condemn all those who doe dissent from it there is but one Christ one Lord one faith This opinion must needs hold forth both a doctrinall and a practicall censure against all such who dissent from it and not only censure their way but their persons and declare them who are contrary either to be men of corrupt affections of corrupt mindes who detain the truth of God in unrighteousnesse who are byassed with carnall respects secular advantages and ends or at the best that they are but ignorant blinde deluded or deceived such as yet know not the minde of God And what this will amount unto I leave any to judge And therefore happy still it were that men would strip themselves of all self and self-respects and faithfully debate that opinion that is held forth upon so high terms and if truth let us close with it or that those who doe hold it up so high would in regard it is in such dispute and so many godly differ from it that they would hand it to men and convey it and seek to passe it upon lower terms and more moderate grounds seeing such are the sad effects of it Indeed if the way be of God if it be that in truth which it pretends to be in holding forth and if they were necessary truths such as were necessary to life then if there were sadder effects then these did accompany the holding it forth yet there is comfort enough in it but when the thing it self is disputable first whether there be any such thing as an exact and uniform government and when this is disputable among those who doe hold there is such a way what is that government we see some godly holy and learned men assert one and no lesse godly and learned defend another and when all is done who ever is in the truth it will not be found that the income is proportionable to the sweat the truths held forth are not necessary but only accessory truths not such as concern the being of Christians but the wel-being I only demand whether the comfort and benefit that may come to the Church of Christ by the stiff maintaining and high passing of such an opinion may ballast and bear weight with the sad effects and trembling consequences that will surely come upon themselves and the Churches of Christ if so passed and if so maintained I leave it to you to judge And thus much for the first viz. that errour will work it self into the heart and affections of the receiver upon as high pretexts and specious pretences as truth it self And that which I have spoken upon it is not to charge any opinion to be an errour which doth seek to passe it self upon so high terms that is not my work to doe in this place but to make you circumspect in the entertaining of opinions though they carry such high pretexts as these seeing it is possible for errour to make the same pretences and seek it's entertainment upon as noble terms as truth it self We come now to the second 2. When an errour is entertained it will work upon the heart and affections as well as truth it will work love to it in them who embrace it it will work fear of betraying it will work hatred and displacency against the
nature of Christ who is pure and holy though it say Loe here is Christ yet believe it not it is an errour and no truth of Christ 3. That opinion which suites not with the life of Christ which was exact holy humble c. though it hold forth Loe here is Christ yet it is none of Christs 4. That opinion which obscures and robbs Christ of his glory and gives to man that which is due alone to Christ though it say Loe here is Christ yet it is an errour and no truth of Christ 5. That opinion which breeds a distance and estrangement between Christ and the soul that interrupts the soule in communion with Christ either in believing or obeying that draws the soul either froÌ„ the obedience of faith or the obedience to the command though it say Loe here is Christ yet it is an errour and no truth of Christ By these touches you may discover many opinions to be errours that goe under that name which shews you the danger of drinking in all opinions that language themselves unto you under the name of Christ A third ground why men are so apt to take opinions on trust is because besides all this they may carry some fair and lovely aspects which may render them lovely and desirable as if they were truth it self many men are tempted into an opinion rather then perswaded into it they are led rather by affection then by judgement the benigne and fair aspects which an opinion may carry may much take men and prevail with them for the entertainment of it It was our fall at first the lovely aspects which the fruit did bear and it is many an ones fall still even the fair and lovely aspects which an opinion seems to carry with it I have told you the Prince of darknesse may transform himself into an Angel of light and he may convey errour to you not only under the notion but under the habit of truth it self and render an errour every way as lovely desirable and acceptable as the truth it self And therefore there being so much danger dealing with so subtle an adversary we had need to beware what we entertain and sift it to the bottome before ever wee give it welcome into our hearts And that 's the first Caution I will be brief upon the rest 2. Beware of prejudice look not prejudicially upon an opinion As wee are not to look upon an opinion with affection and so give up our hearts to it before wee have tried it so wee must not look upon it with disaffection and so set our hearts against it before wee have examined it Indeed there are some opinions not worthy tryall Some are to bee lookt upon with abhorrency as such which are destructive to faith and godlinesse when I say you are not to look upon opinions with prejudice I mean not these for those you are to look upon with abhorrencie but I mean such as are controverted among the godly themselves and such as may consist with all holinesse of life and conversation of these I would be understood to speak when I say look not with prejudice against any way men when they receive prejudice against a way either they will not search at all or if they doe they will not know As affâ—ctions to a way doth hasten the understanding to know and the heart to embrace it so disaffection to a way doth hinder the understanding from knowing and hold off the heart from embracing It is a hard thing to perswade that man whose heart is either ingaged to a contrary way or his understanding prejudiced to this way Such a man may bee convinced but it is hard to perswade him his affections and ingagements act against all that light that he will not see he will not know it must be our work if wee will finde out truth to beware of prejudice You know it was that which hindered the Jews from closing with Christ who was the great truth and it will be that will hinder you from embracing of lesser truths Formerly the novelty of a way the paucity of professours the meannes of their condition the weaknesse of their parts and abilities the bad entertainment a truth had in the world were the great stumbling blocks or prejudices to the entertainment of truth It was so in the Gospel as you all know and it is well if the prejudices be not turn'd the other way and that the ancientnesse of an opinion the multitude of professours the quality of them the greatnesse of their learning and parts the favour it may finde in the world be not the great prejudices which may hinder from the closing with it God hath often times in providence smiled upon an errour and discountenanced a truth and he may please to let the truth finde favour and errour bee discountenanced Wee look for those daies when God shall make Kings nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his Church when the Kingdoms of the earth shall become the Lords and his Christs this is promised and therefore this should bee no prejudice when God doth bring it about to hinder us from the entertainment of an opinion If you would finde out truth beware of prejudice on any side and look singly upon the opinion without any other respects at all 3. Beware of being byassed with carnall and corrupt affections most men of the world are carried with byasses rather then with principles they are moved rather by affections then judgement by things without them rather then principles within them There are four great Byasses which carry most men in the world 1. The first Byas is the love of the world which is a strong byas There are too many that stand as the people in the Market-place who would not goe into the vineyard till they were hired so they are not willing to entertain an opinion embrace a way till they can see what it can doe for them they must be hired with filthy lucre and will doe nothing till they see what will be most advantagious God keep us from such a spirit He who doth not see truth all riches shall never be the possessour of it such a man will see nothing to be truth or errour but what may stand with his own ends his secular advantages As they used to say of a corrupt Judge he had Bos in lingua he had money in his tongue and being bribed would say any thing So J may say of a worldly man he hath bos in corde the world in his heart and hee will not close with or embrace any thing but what may stand with his advantages where there is the love of the world Caeterae cupiditates ingenti cupiditati subservient there is desire to get the world and fear to lose the world and such a man will make all to serve his main corruption You see the desire of gain it made Judas to sell Christ Demas forsake Christ he forsook Christ and did cleave to this
have yet another which is of great moment also and I have then done with this discourse The sixth and last Quaery is this viz. Quest 6. What waies God hath left us in his Word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons A Question certainly of great concernment among all the contentions of the times I know none of greater concernment then this viz. What are the boundaries of opinions It were a sad thing as our case stands if there were no bounds for errours and as fearfull a thing to goe beyond Gods bounds for the suppressing of them Certainly there are some means warranted and anointed of God for such ends but what those means are and where they are to be bounded there is all the controversie I finde learned and godly men differing each from other in this point and * Augustinus retractavit pristinam sententiam fuam quâ existimavit contra haereticos nâ—hil vi agenâ—um esse Aug. retract l 2. cap. 2.5 Epist 48 50. some also differing from themselves afterwards retracting what formerly they have held forth for truth in this point witnesse Augustines retractations Indeed it is a tender point it concerns the conscience a tender part against which who that hath any thing of God in him but trembles to sinne and who doth not fear to injure and offend It is a point of great subtilty which most cannot discern there are many labyrinths many winding subtilties in it and it is of no lesse intricacy having many other subtile and intricate disputes complicated and folded up in it Two of the main subtilties are founded upon those two places of Scripture one the 2 Cor. 13.12 We know but in part the other Rom. 14.23 What ever is not of faith is sin From both which it is argued We know but in part There will be difference in opinions these opinions have power on the conscience for what ever a man hath received he is bound to walk in it and who ever recedes from what he hath received for truth either for fear or for favour he sinnes against his conscience For what ever is not of faith is sinne Again we know but in part therefore no Councels on earth are infallible if not then may they err if they may err it is certainly our duty to try prove their determinations before we do approve them if our duty to try them then it is our duty to assent or dissent to them as those determinations shall appear to us to be consonant or dissonant to the Word of God and if it be our duty to assent or dissent as those results and determinations shall be evidenced to us to be or not to be of God then how can it be the duty of any to compell us to the contrary or to punish us for the doing of that which is our duty It is a controversie full of subtilties and intricacies and it is diversly asserted and as differently maintained according to the different apprehensions principles interests and ingagements of men Some cry up liberty for all opinions Others and most decry that Some would have a toleration or an allowance for lesser differences only Others doe rather desire an accommodation then a toleration and that differences may rather be healed and composed then allowed and tolerated among us Men are divers in their thoughts their thoughts being for the most part diversified according to the proportions and latitudes of their differences in opinions from generall received truths Men of lesser difference in opinion pleading only for a mercifull allowance of some Those of wider difference contending for a liberty of all opinions To both which we shall speak something in the following discourse For the present let us return to our Question propounded viz. What waies God hath lâ—ft us in his Word for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons For the answer to which we shall in brief comprize those waies under two generall heads 1. Ecclesiasticall 2. Civil Both which we shall clear to be warranted and allowed of God to these ends viz. The suppressing of errour and the reducing of erroneous persons We shall begin with the first 1. First then there are some means ecclesiasticall which God hath warranted for these ends And herein we shall finde few to differ from us most concurring in this that God hath warranted some means in his Church for this end though indeed there is some dispute what those means are but there needs nor any among us for we freely concurre with any that those means which God hath appointed in his Church are of a spirituall nature and influence we utterly cast out and abominate all corporall or crumenall mulcts and say the Church hath no power to punish the body or to lay fines upon the estate or to deal with men at all as they stand in any civil or worldly respects The Church of Christ owns no such weapons in her warfare * Gregor de Vâ—lent in m â—ae disp 1. q. 11. punct 3. Azor. instit moral Tom. 1. l. 8. c. 14. It is for the man of sin to propagate his way and suppresse his adversaries with such fleshie weapons The Church of Christ knows not how to use any externall violence or outward force either to advance truth or suppresse errour though the Church be in readinesse to revenge all disobedience as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10.6 2 Cor. 10.6 yet not by such carnall weapons in such fleshie waies as these are Christ tells us that his Kingdome is not of this world And the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. The weapons of our warfare they are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God for the pulling down of strong-holds and bringing every thought in obedience to Christ So that spirituall means and remedies are onely to be used in the kingdom of Christ the Church of God For all other 1. They are improper not only in respect of the persons that are to uâ—e them but improper in their own nature And that because 1. They are externall means and those are too short for internall maladies 2. Besides they are heterogeneall they are diversi generis of a divers and different kinde the one carnall the other spiritual the object of one the body the estate of the other the soul and conscience 2. And secondly these were never ordained never appointed of God for such ends in his Church We cannot expâ—ct Gods blessing upon any thing further then it hath Gods ordination Now these were never ordained and anointed of Christ as means to be used in his Church and Kingdome for such an end and therefore there can be no blessing expected on them 3. Besides these means are unsutable to the ends to which they are intended fleshie means are unsutable to bring about spirituall ends the end of all Church Ordinances are not ruine but amendment not destruction but edification as the Apostle
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
which threatned the ruine of the Churches New-England when those dangerous opinions grew up among them had spread farre gotten power poysoned many some of their Worthies were in danger to be drawn away from their stedfastnesse It pleased God to stir up their hearts to meet in a Synod where they found Gods assistance and since Gods blessing and I thinke can say by experience that there is no better no surer remedy against errour no better way to finde out truth then a Synod There is no age wherein the use of Synods hath not been found needfull and the right use blessed and successefull Zepperus alleadging Act. 15. for a patern of Synods declares That after the Apostles the Primitive Churches under the new Testament Concilia non sunt simplicitâ—â— absolate necessaria tamen multum conserunt valde utilia sunt Waâ—tak de Concil q. 1 p. 22. Eâ—seb l. 1. c. 4â— being most studious of this consociation or combination of Synods did not only communicate by letters but meeting together in Nationall and generall Councels did hear causes try doctrine and convinced condemned heresies c. and sent their decrees unto all Churches with the names of the persons and heresies which were condemned And indeed there is no age of the Church where Synods have been rightly used but they have been successefull The Papists Arminians Socinians decry them as unnecessary and unprofitable they dare not bring their opinions to the test Indeed they are not simply not absolutely necessary to the being but they are necessary to the well-being of a Church Eusebius doth exceeding celebrate the piety of Constantine for assembling the Nicene Councel wherein Arius was condemned and he doth as much charge Licinius for seeking to ruine the Churches by depriving them of Synods Nazianzen hath indeed a sad complaint I am minded saith he to shun all assemblies of Bishops because I never saw any good event in any Councel Ego si vera scribere oportet ita animo affectus sum ut omnia opâ—scoporuÌ„ concilia â—ugiam quoniam nulli us Concilij finem loetuÌ„ fouâ—tumque vidi Epist 42. ad pro cap Bâ—z tract Theoâ— voâ— 2. p. 211 212. every one rather increasing then diminishing our evils Calvin calls it dura quaerimonia a harsh complaint Beza opposeth against this complaint the Apostolicall example the history of things done Indeed saith he the Nicene Synod did not quite allay the furies of Arius no nor some that followed after but who will therefore judge that there hath been no fruit of that Synod which even at this very time we doe abundantly reapâ— yea the Apostolicall Synod hath not altogether restrained Cerinthus and those obstinate maintainers of circumcision but who would therefore say it was not necessary for the Church And a little after he saith The sentence of Nazianzen doth not concern Synods rightly ordered unlesse we thinke that he would detract from the Synod of Nice which indeed is very absurd seeing it is well known how great a Defender he hath been thereof if neverthelesse Arians ceased not to rage thorow the world how much the more may we thinke that they would have done it if the authority of that holy Synod agreeing with the Word of God so often objected against them had not repressed their renewed endeavours The same we avouch saith he concerning the Macedonians Nestorians Eutycheans and their issue whom as many Oecumenicall Synods if not with one wound yet with reiterated blows have by the Word of God stricken down Conciliâ—râ—i in ecclesia saluberrima authoritas Aug. epist 118. Whitak de Concil 〈◊〉 1. c 3. p. 13 14 15. in so much that they doe afford us arms against the like errors springing up again in this our age Thus farre he Besides him learned Whitaker also opposeth to this complaint of Nazianzen the speech of Austin The authority of Synods in the Church of God is most wholsome The same Authour saith It may seem strange that Nazianzen denies that ever he had seen any good issue of Synods for in those two Synods viz Nice and Constantinople truth got the victory and heresie was put down And though it be certain saith he that Arianisme was increased and grew stronger then before yet this is not to be imputed to the Synod but to the perversnesse and ambition of men Again saith he Nazianzen was to be pardon'd because he lived in the worst and most turbulent times of the Church when by means of Valens the Emperour who degenerated from the Catholike faith heresies more prevail'd Again he objects to Nazianzen Christ himself Mat. 18.20 When two or three are gathered in my Name I will be in the midst of them Vrsine also answereth this complaint of Nazianzen after the same manner and tells us Ursin admon de lib. concord c. 12. op tom 2. col 686. That he spake of the Synods of his time whereof some were Arian others confusedly undertaken and governed But admit that he never saw that successe of Synods that was desired suppose that errours did grow the more for being sentenced and condemn'd in Synods yet shall men be discouraged from doing their duty There have been good effects of Synods After that in Act. 15. the Churches were established Act. 16.4 5. Admit we see no present fruit yet it is our duty to wait as well as work if it doe not appeare in our age yet something may be laid in for future generations Such consociations upon earth are like the conjunctions in the heavens the fruit whereof comes not in perhaps in many years Nay admit in steed of good we see evil in steed of abatement of errours we see the increase of them yet should not this discourage us accidentall evils not springing out of the nature of an ordinance are no arguments to prove the unlawfulnesse of an ordinance especially when as the ordinance it self and in it's own nature serves for the preventing or removing of such evils as are complained to be the fruit of them Men are usually worse at their first taking physick yet is this a means to remove the distemper So errours may like bad humours stirred rise the higher grow and conflict the more under this physick yet is this a means for the helping and removing of them But of this sufficient we will come to the fourth particular which indeed is the main viz. Quest 4. What power God hath endued and enabled a Synod withall as serviceable to this end viz. The suppressing of errour and the reducing of erroneous persons About which I finde three severall opinions whereof the first doth certainly give too much the second is questioned to attribute too little the third is thought to set down the just bounds of power 1. The first which certainly gives too much is that of the Papists in which they attribute to Synods and Councels an absolute infallible binding power against which none are to dispute to which all men are bound to yeeld
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
a Synod may by a solemn act and in the name of Jesus Christ renounce any further communion with such Churches till they be reformed Ibid. and may in the same name declare and publish those erring Churches are not to be received into fellowship with any of the Churches of Christ Cotton Keys p. 25 nor to have communion one with another in the ordinances of Christ Here is now a great deal And one of the brethren hints something more in that expression of his We dare not say that the power of a Synod reacheth no further then to give counsell For saith he such as their ends be for which according to God they doe assemble such is the power given them of God to attain those ends as they meet to minister light and peace to such Churches as lie in errour or variance so they have power by the grace of Christ not only to give light and counsell in matter of truth and practice but also to command and enjoyn things to be believed and done the expresse words of the Synodicall letter imply so much Act. 15.27 It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and us to lay upon you no other burthen This burthen therefore to observe those necessary things which they speak of they had power to impose it is an act of the binding power of the keys to binde burthens and this binding power ariseth not only materially from the weight of the matters imposed but also formally from the authority of the Synod which being an ordinance of Christ bindeth the more for the Synods sake So that here you see is a great agreement all the difference is in point of Excommunication they conceive a Synod hath not power to excommunicate either Churches or persons 1. And for Churches in that many of the brethren agree with them and say as I told you a whole Church is not to be excommunicated and for those that dissent and say whole Churches may be excommunicated to them they grant not only the half of it but the substance of the thing for what is condemning forsaking rejecting of a Church c. but Excommunication in the substance of it and so some of the Brethren take it the least that can be made of it is Analogicall and proportionable to Excommunication 2. And for the second viz. the Excommunication of persons by a Synod to me they grant the thing though not the name and the Brethren of the other minde say they thinke that Excommunication doth not belong to a Synod Secundum actus elicitos sed imperatos It is rather the work of a Synod to enjoyn it to be done then to doe it themselves yet if delivering up to Satan be not of the formality of the sentence of Excommunication as many of our brethren thinke but the consequent and fruit of the censure Bur. Heart divisions p. 4. then I see not that there is any difference as I shewed you before And thus I have shewed you what materials our brethren will afford us to this building which I could for my own part rather be content to sit down withall then by raising it higher but heighten our confusion run the mischief of division among our selves then which no penall evil can be sadder and more uncomfortable I wish we might all remember the Apostles rule Phil. 3.15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Neverthelesse whereto we have already attain'd let us walk by the same rule minde the same things And thus we have done with the first great means for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons viz. Ecclesiasticall We come now to the second means propounded which we call civil and magisteriall * NoÌ„ tantuÌ„ sermo meus quantum mandatum tuum Naz. And this is a point of no lesse concernment then it is of controversie at this time The secoÌ„d means to sâ—ppresse errour It were a sad thing if there were no bounds for errour and as sad it were to goe beyond Gods bounds for the suppressing of them I told you in the entrance upon this last Question it was a tender point an intricate subtle controversie diversly asserted and as differently maintained I shall not here deal with this controversie in the latitude of it only as relating to the Question here propounded And that I may not lengthen out this discourse too farre by multiplying needlesse Questions and entring upon collaterall disputes I will summe up all that I shall speak to this Quâ—stion under these five generall heads 1. We will shew you what power the Magistrate may be said not to have 2. We will shew what the power of the Magistrate is asserted to be as relating to this Question 3. We will examine whether such a power be ordained and warranted of God 4. Whether such a power be needfull in the Church 5. And lastly how this power is to be dispenced 1. We will begin with the first viz. What power the Magistrate may be said not to have In the entrance upon which let me tell you by power I mean not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the power of might but the power of right not a power taken but a power given and that not by men but by God an authoritative power wherewith he is invested of God for Id possumus quod jure possumus And in that sense I speak of the Magistrates power thorow this discourse And first then 1. The Magistrate hath not an absolute power to doe what he pleaseth in the things of God The object of religion is a supernaturall good and for that we are not to depend upon the will of man but the will of God that which he hath commanded we must doe Ezek. 20. When Magistrates goe beyond the bounds of the Word they take upon them a greater power then God hath given them they are Gods Ministers Rom. 13. and therefore their wils are to be subordinate to the will of their Master and upon all their injunctions should be engraven what the Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14 38. The things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Prerogative royall of God and Christ to command things because they will and cannot be usurped by any mortall man without high injury to Jesus Christ Tertullian hath a passage to this purpose IniquaÌ„ exeractu do miâ—ationeÌ„ si ideo râ—gâ—vis licere qu a vultis non quia â—â—buit non licere Tertul. A pol aâ—vers Gent. You exercise an unjust dominion over others if you therefore deny a thing may be d ne because you will not because it ought not to be done It was a hâ—gh presumption of Constantius who when he would compell the Orthodox Christians to imbrace Arianisme uttered these words Quod ego volo pro canone sit That which I
Imperatorum judiciaria authoritas religionem ethnicam mandavit haec tamen conculcata indâ—es suit nostra autem fides caput exeruit Grae. am Philosophâ—aâ— si quivis Magistratus prohibuerit ea statim perit doctrinam ChristianaÌ„ oppugnant reges tamen crescit Clera Alex. Strom. By instance and experience of the Primitive Churches The kingdome of Christ was not only planted but it was propagated and encreased by the industry and labours of a few fisher-men when the Kings of the earth Non modo minime faventes sed frementes were so farre from yeelding their concurrence and assistance that they set all their power and malice against it to suppresse it And till Constantines time which was not till the fourth century some 300 years and upwards after Christ the Gospel never found any assistance from the secular power those former Emperours putting forth all their power to condemn and suppresse Christian religion and to command and advance Heathenish superstition and idolatry yet notwithstanding that it might be evident our faith is not of man but of God the Church increased the Gospel was propagated and Paganisme and superstition notwithstanding all these outward supports and props was dead stroâ—k and died daily All which shews the mighty power of God and of his Goâ—pel â—f any Magistrate saith one had prohibited the Greek Philosophy it had quickly perished but the Kings of the earth oppose Christian Doctrine and yet it increaseth All which as it shews the power of God and of his Gospel So it tels us that there is not an absolute necessity of any secular power for the planting or propagating of Christs Gospel and kingdome 2. This is also demonstrated by the efficacy if not sufficiency of spirituall means wherewith Christ hath furnished his Church for the advancement of these ends though the Kings of the earth should not lend their assistance 1. Christ hath ordained and set up a ministry which is to continue to the end of the world Mat. 20 19 20. and this being strengthned by the Spirit of Christ is of might to carry on his own ends to advance his own kingdom To throw down all strong holds of contrary reasonings and to bring in subjection every thought to the obedience of Christ as the Apostle doth declare 2 Cor. 10.3 4. 2. Besides this Christ hath ordained and appointed censures in his Church which being faithfully and duely administred may be effiâ—acious means to preserve the truth suppresse errour and remove out of his kingdome what ever doth offend And the Primitive Churches in the want of any other assistance though they were indeed infested with many heresies and dangerous errours yet had plentifull experience of the efficacy and blessing of these means whereby the Churches did in a great measure preserve and free themselves from those poysonous errours that did arise among them All which shews that the civil coercive power is not of absolute necessity either to the planting or propagating of Christs Church and kingdome But yet Conclus 4. Although this civil power be not absolutely necessary to the being yet it is very conducefull and apprimely requisite to the well-being and flourishing condition of the Churches of Christ in peace and godlinesse This the Apostle intimates in 1 Tim. 2.2 where he exhorts us To pray for Kings and them in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty And this the Primitive Churches in the first Centuries found by experience though in the want and opposition of it they were kept in being for God will have his Church on earth though all the powers of the earth should set themselves against it yet they were miserably infested not only with disturbing but with d structive errours which threatned the very unbeing of the Churches of Christ All which tells us how conducefull and requisite this power is for the preserving of the Churches of Christ in their well-bâ—ing Nay and I say yet further though this power be not absolutely necessary yet is it necessary by Gods ordination God hath ordain'd Magistracy to be the fence of his Churches the protection of his people he hath promised they shall be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Churches of Christ under the Gospel Isa 49.23 A great honour as well as duty And it is our speciall duty to pray for such in the want of them and in the enjoyment of such to rejoyce under them and blesse God for them as the highest outward priviledge the Churches of Christ can enjoy on earth And thus much shall serve for the fourth Question We come now to the fift and last propounded viz. Qu. 5. How this power is to be dispenced In answer to which I shall lay down six necessary rules or cautionary advices to which I shall only annex my desires and some wayes for a happy accommodation between the brethren and so conclude this Discourse We shall begin with the Rules necessary to be observed in the dispencing of this power And 1. This power is to be dispenced rightly Magistrates have not an absolute power to establish what they please in point of religion but a power subordinate unto and to be regulated by the will of God He is Gods minister and therefore is not to set his will above or against his Master Reget cuâ— in errore sunt pro ipâ—o leges contra veritatem faciunt cum in veritate sunt coÌ„tra errorem pro ipsa verita e decernunt Aug. cent Cresc l. 3. c. 51. Cum catholici sum reges benè utuntur hac potestaÌ„te cum haeretici abutuntur câdem It were better the Sword should rust in the scabbard then it should be drawn forth against God and truth better to bear the Sword in vain here then to mannage the Sword to the disservice of God It will be farre more easie to render an account of not using then for ill using of this talent of power Certainly this power may be lawfully used and it may as sadly and as dangerously be abused It is lawfull to suppresse some errours but it is fearfull to lend the sword to the suppression or extirpation of any truth It is better not to doe then to doe wickedly How miserably Kings and Emperours have failed nay abused their power in this is known to all When Kings have been in an errour they have established laws for that against the truth when in the truth they have made decrees for the truth against errour which may be a trembling consideration to those who write of this power and an awfull caution to them who are to use it Volumes might be written how miserably the Kings and Potentates of the earth have been abused in lending their Sword to suppresse those for errours which have been the precious truths of God and to advance those things for truths which have been pernicious and destroying errours Sâ— e ictum imperatoâ—is sit ut propter verae fide professâ—o
discriminating characterizing names which are nothing else but badges of faction bellows of strife markes of division fewell of debate stampes of difference trumpets of discord and mainly obstacle a happy and desired union These making us two and in aliquo tertio two opposite one to another It hath ever been Satans design to sowe the seeds of division in the Church of Christ hoping that Christs kingdom if once it be divided will quickly be ruined And that he might effect this design the better he hath still laboured to brand men with siding and dividing names which hath been too succesfull not only to beget and keep up but to fewel and encrease strife and divisions in the Churches of Christ The Germane Churches can tell you the truth of this in their sad and wofull experience whose names of divisions Lutherans Calvinists Zuinglians Hussites c. have so long torn and divided them that it is a wonder that any of them have so much as a name Some of the Fathers not without cause did exceedingly declaim against these names of division Epiphanius who though he himself writ against 80. Epiphan â—er 42. 70. Non Petrianos non Paulianos sed Christianos nos oportet vocari heresies yet he would not allow the Christians to bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any other name to be super added to the name of Christian And I have read it was the speech of Nazianzen We ought not to be called Petrians or Paulians but Christians Certainly he that sees any thing cannot but see these characterizing names to be the very bellows of strife the trumpets of faction and carry division in the very fore-head of them and I know no end of them but to enlarge the differences among the Saints and under these ill names to render up one another to be wooried by the multitude Nullum criminis nomen nisi nominis crimen Tertul. who see no further then the name and think the name crime enough when all the crime is often but the name 3. Bury up and forget all bitter and distastefull passages Let an act of oblivion be made in which all disrelishments either in language or action word or deed may be buried up in silence and let him be unworthy the name of a brother who doth either renew them or revive them Bitter pils had need to be swallowed not chawed It was said of the Polonian Churches seeking union Though they could not conclude all their controversies yet they could bury up and banish all contentions I wiâ—h we might do the like though we cannot strait conclude our controversies yet let us banish all contentions And in seeking to compound our differences in judgement let us not by mutuall provokings beget a disunion in affection which will enlarge our differences and make them more irreconcilable Differences at the first are often times small but like rivers the further they go the greater they grow and the incandid unbrotherly harsh proceedings in them are none of the least means of the inlarging of them It were a happy thing if in all debatings and writings for the future harsh and unbrotherly passages like rockâ— might be avoided and what ever in this kinde hath escaped any in the heat of the contention might be expunged obliterated and forgotten Lest seeds of future division if our differences may not be compounded which God forbid should be left to succeeding posterity who will be ready to imitate if not out-act those who have gone before them We see a sad example of this in the contentions among the Germane Churches which stand up no land-marks to sail by but sea-marks rocks to shun and avoid It would be a preparing way to our union and agreement if by consent of all there might be a mutuall act of oblivion passe whereby all former exasperatings might be forgotten and buried up in an eternall silence and a mutuall obligation never to provoke or imbitter the spirits of one another more we had all need rather to carry buckets than fagots and to seek to lessen than to enwiden our differences unbrotherly proceedings makes a difference where there is none and where there is any it makes it twice as great so that at the last though the controversies might be easily accommodated yet the mindes and spirits of men exasperated imbittered and provoked become hard to be reconciled 4. Retract unjust charges in consequentiall or strained deductions fastened upon either It is a usuall fault in controversies to extend disagreements beyond the purpose or thoughts of the persons dissenting if they doe not differ they will make them differ if they disagree in a little and come not up to their thoughts they will make their disagreements too wide ever to be composed How ordinarily do men by drawing deductions and consequences from their adversaries assertions fasten such opinions and tenents on them which they abhorre and neither apprehended nor granted I grant there is some use to be made of such reasonings we may labour to make an opinion odious to the maintainers of it by discovering to them what consequences and absurdities do follow and what deductions may be made from such a doctrine but we must not strain their assertions and make inconsequentiall deductions much lesse must we be so unbrotherly as to fasten all those consequences and deductions we make upon them as their own sense and professed assertions Though Tertullian and others held the propagation of the soul which certainly was an errour yet they never held it to be mortall they expressely disclaimed that and yet who sees not but from the one the other might be inferred The Calvinists charge the Lutherans with Eutychianisme which they utterly disclaim but yet may be inferred from their erroneous doctrine of Consubstantiation They again charge us for making God the authour of sin which we deservedly abhor and yet they think it may be gathered from our assertions of predestination and providence Nostrum est noÌ„ quid per se ex quovis sequaâ—ur dogmate sed quid in illorum sequatur conscientia spectare qui tenent illud dogma c. DaveÌ„ adhort ad frat con inter eâ—an eâ—cl p 12. One of our own learned Divines who did cast in his labours to the healing of the differences of the German Churches alledgeth this passage out of Bucer We must not so much consider what will follow in the thing it self froÌ„ every assertion as what will follow from it in the judgment of those who do ma ntain such assertions And he gives this reason for as he who assents to the truth of some principle cannot therefore be said properly to believe and understand what ever may be deduced from it so neither can he who maintains an errour justly be thought to hold all those absurdities which abler men may infer from such an opinion c. It should therefore be our care not to strain or force such consequences from their assertions which differ
touching works and obedience to be annexed to faith not to justifie our persons but to justifie our faith the obedience of faith justifies our persons the obedience from faith justifies our faith which you see it is the great scope of St James to cleare in the second chapter throughout The doctrine of Christian liberty by Christ gave occasion to some to publish that they were set at freedome from obedience to Magistrates in the Lord and for the Lord and others used it as an occasion of scandall to them that were weake and thought that they had liberty to eate of meate offered to Idols though the weake were thereby scandalled and offended yet why should not they use their liberty I say these two errours which were strong in those times and seemed to be founded on the doctrine of Christian liberty which they were to maintaine gave occasion to the publication of many precious truths concerning the due bounds limits restraints and extents of Christian liberty by two great Apostles Paul and Peter Paul dealing with Christian liberty in points of scandall 1 Cor. 8.9 10 11. Take heed least by any meanes this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weake And Peter dealing with it in point of disobedience as you may reade it at large 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15 16. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man as free yet not using your liberty as a cloake of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God So that I say God hath mercifull ends towards them who are brought in to suffer errours to abound to cleare the way to those who shall be called and he hath ends in respect of truth it selfe not only to give occasion for the publication but the sifting and finding out of truth as you see I have shewed And thus much of Gods mercifull ends to them called and to them in purpose to call we come now to Gods judiciall ends which is the second particular 2. As God hath mercifull ends to the godly so he hath judiciall ends to the wicked in permitting errours abroad and that 1. To the seducers 2. To the seduced 1. To the promoters 2. To the receivers of opinions We will joyne these two together for brevities sake God may then suffer men to be led aside with errours and delusions 1. For the punishment of some former way of sin As a corrupt head will breed a corrupt life so a corrupt life will breed a corrupt judgement Sin in conversation is often punished with corruption in judgement with darknesse in the understanding God often suffers a corrupt judgement to be the punishment of a corrupt life You walke it may be in some way of sin and as yet though your affections and conversations are corrupted yet your understandings they are not corrupted you still retaine the truth But sure it cannot be long before the understanding be tainted before that light which glowes therein is obscured and put out It is a hard thing to keepe a sparke of fire alive in the midst of a sea of water to keepe a beame of light in the understanding under such darknesse in the heart and affection and such works of darknesse in your conversation This is sure either the truth will make you leave sin or your sin will make you leave the truth Either that light in you will overcome your darknesse or your darknesse will overcome your light Men that hold up affection to sin though not practise in sin they will betray the light they have they will smother it put it out at last When men are willing to sleepe they will put out the candle nay and draw the curtaines that no light may come in to trouble them So men that are willing to sleepe in sinne they will not only draw the curtaines that is labour to keepe out the receiving of more light but they put out the candle obscure that light they have that they may more quietly sleepe in sinne sinne without disturbance Sometimes indeed errour is the cause of sinne sometimes sinne is the cause of errour we will exemplifie this It may be that a man hath walked in some way of sinne and will not be reclaimed of it he hath some light within which gives in testimony to his conscience of the evill of his way this disturbs him now in a way of sinne but this will not reclaime him of his sinne he will sinne still but the light within him disturbs him he cannot sinne with that quiet and peace as others doe and therefore now his corrupt heart begins to undermine the light he hath the strength of sin in the affection begins to darken and blow up or blow out the power of light in the understanding that he may the better sinne with peace And therefore first he begins to find out some shifts for his sinnes he will have some excuses and this is a sowing of figge-leaves to cover his nakednesse If excuses and pretexts will not doe then he begins to dispute against the light why may I not doe this is this so much to doe If this will not doe then he falls to deny the light and say it is a needlesse scruple tush it s nothing And at last he comes to take in such an opinion as he may be quiet in his sinne as he may sinne without trouble And as many errours are bred and begotten out of this they are but opinions that a sinfull but troubled heart have taken up that he may be quiet in his sinne So many errours are received too because they do correspond and comply with their sinfull and corrupt hearts Christians it may be there be some of you that have many truths in you you understand more then others doe and it may be yea you walke in some way of sinne that light you have stares in your face gives evidence beares witnesse against you yet for all this you will not heare the counsels of truth you will not take notice of it yea but doe you take heed least God in punishment of your sinne doe give you up to a way of errour There are five sins which God doth often punish with errour some are intellectuall some are sensuall 1. A wilfull shutting out the light when God is comming in with light from Heaven when he is revealing himselfe and mind to us and yet we will shut our eyes we will not see we will not open our eyes nor owne the truth out of corrupt grounds feare love of the world c. I say this man is in danger to be given up to a way of error if you will be blind you shall be blind if you will not see you shall not see as Christ told the Pharisees he preached to them in Parables that * Quia cum loquebatur perspicuè noluerunt intelligere in poeâ—aâ— jam loquitur obscurè Muscul seeing they might not see Math. 13.13 This is that Christ said to the Jews Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would