Errors there being some such which may not seem flat contrary to the express words of Scripture the necessary Truths of which those errors are destructive not being delivered in express terms in the holy Scriptures yet sufficiently contained therein and may be undoubtedly proved out of them by comparing of Texts observing the context and scope of the Text and other rules of Art Which the people not being so well able to do let them observe this second rule 2. KEEP stedfast in the Faith of all such Truths as the Catholick Apostolick Church hath believed and delivered as necessary and believe not your particular Guide when he teaches contrary to these The Church is the ground and pillar of Truth 1 Tim. 3.5 into her bosome and Registry the Apostles committed all necessary Truths as our Lord commanded them Mat. 28.19,20 Go teach all Nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you they knew their Lords Commands and were true to their trust in teaching them accordingly These necessary truths thus laid up in the Treasury of the Church are Domestick houshold doctrines which all of that Family should hold fast and not be carried about with every winde of strange or forein doctrine Heb. 13.9 These necessary truths committed by the Apostles to the Churches of their own plantation God hath promised Mat. 28.20 should be delivered down through all succession to the end of the world Lo I am with you namely in the teaching all that I have commanded to the end of the world What therefore hath been constantly delivered and believed as commands of Christ by the general Testimony of the universal Church in all ages ought to be firmly believed upon the same consentient Testimony we receive and believe the Canonical Scriptures to be the word of God and why should we not be satisfied with the same Testimony of all other necessary Truths But how shall the people be able to know which Truths are so generally delivered from the first ages till now they cannot themselves search and finde them and perhaps their own Teachers may tell them that their Errors are such I ANSWER you may finde and know these necessary truths by the publick doctrine of our own Church delivered in her Liturgy and Articles of Religion by the unanimous consent of all your spiritual Guides Acquaint your selves throughly with that publick doctrine and adhere to that and if your own Teacher teach otherwise believe him not If to these directions here given you carefully attend adding your constant humble prayers to that Merciful God who would have no man to perish but that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.4 He will certainly preserve you from all damnable Errors and keep you stedfast in the holy Faith That faith which is the ground and foundation of the lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you 1 Pet. 1.3,4 that Faith by which through the power of God ye are kept unto Salvation vers 5. that faith which being preserv'd firm and stedfast after it hath been tried by manifold temptations will be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ Vers 6 7. That faith which makes us here in this life to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Vers 8. and in the end brings us to the salvation of our souls Vers 9. which God of his infinite mercy grant us all for Jesus Christs sake to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and Glory world without end Amen FINIS
father and mother more than me He that prefers father and mother more than me and my doctrine and will renounce that or any part of it to save them or his own life and whatsoever is dearest to him in this world is not worthy of me The sincere Resolution of preferring God and his holy Truth before all worldly advantages is that which makes the honest and good heart which affords depth of earth for the Seed of Gods Word to root in and bring forth fruit to life eternal St. Luk. 8.15 Let us therefore retire to our closets and frequently renew this honest purpose and resolution especially when we come to the holy Eucharist that we may get it seal'd and confirmed there by the Grace of the holy Spirit let not the cost we may be at affright us the rich pearl of the holy Faith the end of which is the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 is not dearly bought though we sell all that we have to purchase it St. Mat. 13.46 THIS resolution will not continue stedfast unless we purge out of our hearts all such violent lusts and passions as will ravish our Wills from the holy Faith which we have believed let us therefore be careful to cast out them especially those which are most dangerous to the stedfastness of the Faith As 1. THE inordinate love of this present world this made Demas forsake St. Paul after he had been a long time his fellow-laborer in the preaching of the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.10 There be too many such who follow Christs doctrine for gain who make great profession of this holy Faith when it fills their baskets Jo. 6.14 who run away from it as fast to any impertinent nay damnable Error which appears more advantageous if we have hearts exercised with covetous designs we shall certainly forsake the right way as Balaam did for the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.14 2. AMBITION and Vain-glory Diotrephes who loves to have the pre-eminence receives not the Apostles nor their doctrine Jo. ep 3. Nay slights their doctrine vilifies their persons prating against them with malicious words vers 10. and all this to get himself a name and esteem amongst the credulous vulgar This hath made most of the Hereticks and Schismaticks in elder times as Epiphanius and others have observed when they thought their worth and merit not enough rewarded when they could not be so great or powerful as they affected to be when they could not obtain by the regular and just wayes of preferment such places and dignities such esteem and repute as their ambition made them covet and think themselves to have deserved then they broacht new Doctrines and invented new Disciplines to draw parties after them of the weaker sort that they might be in a Faction what they could not be in the Church Chiefs and Leaders Nor doth this Ambition appear only in the Leaders but every little member of the most ridiculous Sect is swoln with the same tumorous vain-glory each party affecting to be call'd the Godly Where this winde of Ambition blows no wonder if it carries them away to divers and strange doctrines Heb. 13.9 How can ye believe receiving or catching at Glory one of another Joh. 5.44 When the Teachers court the people and they again the Teachers for applause and reputation when vain-glory is the end of the deâ—ign how can men be stedfast for when the holy Faith becomes as oftentimes it does vile and contemptible in the eyes of the people such men must needs forsake it and profess any new though damnable doctrine that grows popular Besides no man can hope to stand stedfast in the Faith without the assistance of Gods grace who resists the proud and gives his grace only to the Humble Jam. 4.6 if we will be constant Disciples of Christ we must be like him lowly in Spirit Mat. 11.29 3. THERE is in our nature a softness or tenderness that is apt to betray our constancy As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that would appear with a fair face without a skar renounce their Christianity and turn Jews only lest they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.12 This tenderness made the Apostles St. Peter and all once forsake their Lord and the same hath made too many forsake the Lords holy Truth It may not perhaps be thought needful to urge this any further at this time when God be thankt there is no present danger of suffering persecution for the Faith of Christ it being now defended by the Defender of the Faith but though Confessors of the Faith and Doctrine of our Lord be not persecuted by the sword of Authority it is at least some part of it curstly persecuted by the spears and arrows and sharp swords of slanderous tongues who like the Donatists of old cry out of persecution even then when they are thus sharply persecuting those who profess and preach the holy Truth and Faith of Christ To instance in a few particulars let any man preach or practise Decency and Order in the Service and Worship of God which is a direct command in Christs holy Doctrine 1 Cor. 14.10 Let him preach or practise Loyalty and Obedience to the King and his Laws which is part of the same holy doctrine Rom. 13.5 1 Pet. 2.13 Let him preach or practise obedience to the Church according to our Lords direction Mat. 18.17 And submission to the guidance of those who by God and mans Laws are set over us to watch for our Souls Heb. 13.17 and he shall soon find the truth of that which I have said his doctrine slandered and his person reproached and persecuted by malicious tongues The fear of this persecution we see hath made some who are too tender follow our Lords doctrine as St. Peter did his Master at a distance it is not amiss to remember what the Holy Ghost hath observed for our instruction in St. Peter that soon after he drew back and followed at a distance he forsook nay forswore his Lord Mat. 26.58,74 from all which we may certainly conclude that we shall never stand stedfast in the Doctrine and Faith of our Lord unless we indeavour to harden our faces and strengthen our foreheads against all such fear of the looks or tongues of men Ezek. 3.8,9 4. AS there is a tenderness so there is a fickleness and love of change in our corrupted nature St. Paul calls it childishness Eph. 4.14 loving much but not long delighting in change not only in ordinary matters dresses and fashions but even in Religion too new Prayers new Doctrines new Governments many men having itching ears heap to themselves Teachers 2 Tim. 4.3 after their own lusts such as may rub their ears and gratifie their lusts and several humors with doctrines suitable and please their childishness with novelties new Revelations new Truths are by many much affected and daily expected I pray God we come not to the