and destroying of them that saints may be kept and preserved sound and incorrupt in the faith or at least may be recovered out of errors into which they have fallen I shall give some few hints of these four particulars 1. Of the cause of Errors how they come to spring 2. Of the growth of Errors how theâ— come to spread 3. Of the cure of Errors what ought to be done to heal the persons of them and to destroy the Errors in them 4. Of the preservatives against errors when they are rife and not easily cured where they have taken root and how Christians may be kept untainted and undefiled of them 1. The causes of Errours are many by which meanes it comes to pass that many are leavened with them 1. There are many Apostate Christians who have put away a good conscience and concerning faith they have made shipwrack of it as the Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 1. 19. and in Gods just Judgement it comes to pass many times that these have a Spirit of errour let lose upon them and these as the false Prophets and false Apostles of old go about as seducers and deceivers and say that they have dreamed and they have received a word from the Lord and they utter lyes and falsehoods in the name of the Lord these have a dextrous way of insinuation to ingratiate themselves among the people and to steale away their hearts from their sound and powerful Pastors and Teachers as the false Apostles bewitched the people and alienated their affections from the Apostles of Christ These serve not the Lord Jesus as the Apostle Paul speaketh Rom. 16. 17. but their own bellies and for filthy lucre sake make merchandize of the souls of the poore people 2. There are many persons of great parts and gifts and of unsanctified hearts and spirits these are apt to be puffed up with pride and to fall into the snare and condemnation of the divel 1. Tim. 3. 6. These are ambitious of glory and would fall under observation for singularity These are seldom wise to sobriety these have bin wont to abound in notions and conceptions to be greatly extravagant therein and Satan hath commission given unto him to enter into them to work effectually in them and by them they become notable instruments in his hands and he is a lying spirit in their hearts and tongues and these have the art and skill of putting off corrupt and adulterate Doctrine as if it had Gods touch and stamp upon it by the sharpness and acuteness of the parts and wits of these simple and more unwary Christians come to be beguiled 3. Many of the people are weake and injudicious and have not a good root of knowledge in them they do not know things in the reasons and causes of them but have received the notion of the truth without the ground of it they have not a deep insight but a superficiall knowledge onely and have seen the out side but know not the mistery within and so it comes that with every wind of Doctrine they are shaken Eph. 4. 14. through the slight of men and cunning craftiness for it is easy to present things with another face while persons look not after that which is within and the fraud and falshood comes not to be discerned for the net and the snare is not in sight and that which is specious is only presented 4. Many persons are ambitious after knowledge that they may increase it and are wholy given as the Athenians to understand news so they to understand Doctrine to arrive at higher notions and conceptions nor for the honour of God nor in affection to the truth but to furnish themselves unto discourse and to increase their repute and so they become swift in hearing and quick in receiving any new Doctrine and God gives them up to strong delusions that they may believe lyes 2 Thes 2. 10 c. who neither seek nor receive the truth in the love of it that they may be saved but that they may be praised 5. Persons that have a real inplantation into Christ and those that have onely a visible and formal inplantation but want a true ingraftment they live together not only in the world but in the Church of Christ also and are under some droppings and waterings of external enjoyments and have a name to live and yet are truly dead and the honour and praise of those that are saints indeed are put upon them Now God that discernes betwixt the sheep and the goats and seperates betwixt them and he also who unmaskes hypocrites and pluckes the vizard off from them he that can distinguish betwixt the natural complexion in his own people and the paintings of others who pretend to him but are none of his he in his providence brings an houre of temptation both upon the one and other he tryes them both with the wind of false Doctrine and heresie and for this end he doth it that they which are approved may beâ—e manifest and that the hypocrisie of the rest may be made detected that himself may have glory in his own and that the others may ly under shame 1 Cor. 11. 19. And the Apostle John saith they went out from us because they were not of us which is appliable to false Doctrine and error and heresie they left the truth and those that adhered to it and they went out after error 6 Many persons forsake or never put themselves in to that order which Christ hath appointed for Saints to walk in in which they might be watched over and so kept by which meanes they are in a state as sheep without shepheards and when the Wolfe commeth they become a prey for the shep are not able through weakness and simplicity to defend themselves if there be no shepheard to provide for their safety and poor weak well meaning Christians are less able sheep will fly from danger though that doth not save â—hem alwayes but Saints many times mistrust no evill and so decline not the danger The Apostle declares how he himself watched for the space of three yeers with many teares to prevent this evill of the flock being devoured by Wolves and he calls the Elders of Ephesus together and gives them this charge that they would take heed to themselves and to the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers to feed the Church of God that is with sound incorrupt doctrine and he renders this reason because after his decease grievous Wolves should enter in not sparing the flock and men of perverse minds amongst themselves Acts 20. 28 29 30. And it is to be observed that such persons how wise soever how holy soever they do professe to be and really may be who cast off Ordinances and Churches and Ministry and say there are now no Pastours nor Teachers nor flocks committed to them as in Primitive times there were and so withdraw themselves from the vigilancie of
calls the Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Let the whole text in that place of Tim. be considered and duely weighed together with the Apostles scope and design and with the observation of a learned man upon it and it will prove Christ to be both God and man and Mendiator betwixt God and man for the words in the Greek run thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be thus rendred For the man Christ Jesus is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man There may be these reasons for such a version or translation of the words 1. Because the subject person that is spoken of is but one and that is the man Jesus Christ and of him it is predicated and asserted that he is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man all is spoken of him for if there were two divers subjects spoken of viz. God the Father and the Mediator Jesus Christ as is generally conceived and must be granted according to the ordinary translation of the words then the Articles would not have been omitted as those that understand the Greek Tongue understand very well If God had been the subject spoken of and if it had been asserted or predicated that he had been one the words would have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if the word Mediator had been the subject and that it had been predicated and asserted of him that he had been one the words wold then have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of them would have been with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this Article is not prefixed to either of them therefore neither of them are the subject spoken of but rather they are things that are spoken of an other which other is the man Jesus Christ he is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man and if it be otherwise then I have held forth it is quite against the manner of the Greeks and there will be hardly any place to be found that will parallell this where there is such an Omission Now if it should be objected that there is no Article prefixed before the man Christ Jesus which yet I say is the subject of whom these things are spoken I answer that there needs not any Article there because of the proper names Jesus Christ before which the Article is usually pretermitted If we also consider the scope of the Apostle it is more congruous thereto the words being translated as I have presented for his degsin is to prove that now the Church of God was not to be kept within the narrow bounds limits of Judea as heretofore but to consist both of Jews and Gentiles as the verse before shews and many other God wil have all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth But how doth the Apostle prove that by this fifth ver he proves it for saith he the man Jesus Christ is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and men if the words did run as they are translated For there is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man there would be no such good consequence for there was ever one God and ever one Mediator betwixt God and men and yet the Church did not extend beyond the bounds of Judea therefore the Apostle speaks of God under a new consideration which was not before till the Apostles times and that is of the man Jesus Christ who is God blessed for ever more and whose work is to unite both Jews and Gentiles into one as in Gal. 3. 28. Ephes 2. 11 And when he calls this man Jesus Christ one God it must be taken of Deus uniens God making one in a practicall way as in Zach. 14. 9. The Lord shall be King in all the earth and in that day the Lord shall be one and his Name one This Lord is Christs for of his Kingdome is this spoken which shall be set up in all the earth and in that day viz. the day of his regnancy over all Nations both Jews and Gentiles for it is a prophecy of such a time the Lord shall be one and his Name one it is not meant of the onenesse of essence for the Lord was alwaies one in that sense but of operation effectivè he shall be one he shall work alike and in one manner in all Nations and shall make them all one in him they shall all serve him with one shoulder with one consent So in this of Timothy God would have all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth for Jesus Christ is one God and one Mediator that is God uniting all in one and reconciling all in one The man Christ is God and Mediator effecting this This was foretold long before but God is come in flesh now to accomplish it But if this exposition should not passe it is easie to give another for it is not denied but that Christ Jesus was and is a man nor is it denied but that as Mediator he was a man and it will be further confessed that he could not have been Mediator unlesse he had been man for therefore it was that he took not the nature of Angells but the seed of Abraham that he might be a meet Mediator to reconcile us to God But the point in dispute is Whether as Mediator he was not more then a man or then a meer creature and I have already shewed that to mediate for God and to God required more sufficiency and ability then can be found in man or any creature The next Instance or Argument that I produced was this Instance 6. If Christ be but a meer creature then the righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed to believers is not the righteousnesse of God but the righteousnesse of a meer creature but this is against the tenure of the Scripture Phil. 3. 9. To this he thus answers I suppose from some terms in your Instance and From the text you alledge that by righteousnesse you mean that righteousnesse whereby believers stand in the sight of God free and cleare from all sin in reference to the curse of the Law thus he is the righteousnesse of God through the faith of Jesus Christ that is that in Jesus Christ which is the object of faith unto all and upon all them that believe Rom. 3. 22. God is the principall Author Christ the instrumentall Agent Rep. It is evident I can meane no other righteousnesse then that which he mentions whereby believers stand cleare from all sin in reference to the stain and pollution of sin as well as in reference to the curse of the Law Now what is it that he answers to this He produceth a text out of Rom. 3. 22. by the mention of which he would divert the eyes of the Reader from the consideration of Philip. 3. 9. which was the Text that I produced for the confirmation of my Instance or Argument and would carry them to the consideration of another Text which
blush for shame because he hath asserted it and he hath offended here against the generation of the saints who have been wont to pray to God in the person of the Son not excluding the Father and the Spirit Stephen is an example of such a practise and many more besides him in Act. 7. 59. They stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit It was the second person the Son who took flesh and is God in flesh that was called upon and prayed unto and must he be made a Transgressor But he saith I have nothing to countenance prayer to Christ but these two Texts which I mention this of Stephen and that other of John But this is as gross an untruth as the former yea more palpable to all mens eyes then the former for in 1 Cor. 1. 2. all saints are described to be such who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus And the Apostle Paul prayed familiarly to Christ in 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. For this I besought the Lord what Lord was this It was the Lord Christ How may that appear From the answer that he received and the use he made of it the answer was My grace is sufficient for thee My power is made perfect in weakness the use that he makes of it is this most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me The power that is made perfect in weakness is the power of Christ And in 2 Thes 2. 16 17. Now the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father comfort your hearts c. The Apostle if he pray to the Father he prays to the Son also for he joyns them both together and gives Christ in this place herein the preheminence that he mentions Christ before the Father in this prayer But he excepts against these two examples of Stephen and John first he makes a question of it whether Stephen did pray directly to Christ or not for he expresseth himself with an if as if he doubted but to doubt in plain things is foolishness and to stumble where there is no stone to stumble at is perversness It will be granted I hope that he prayed to him to whom he spake but he spake to Christ and the words in the Greek make it clear They stoned Stephen calling upon and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit there is none other mentioned but the Lord Jesus upon whom he called and to whom he said receive my spirit and he warrants it by Christs visible appearance as Lots prayer unto the Angels being visible but what visible appearance was there when Paul prayed to Christ in the forementioned places or when all the Saints prayed to Christ as the Apostle intimates the practise to be in the primitive times what sight had they first of Christ before they prayed did Christ appear visibly to every one of them first what a groundless conceit is this and how far from truth besides what did such a visible sight advantage him when he saw him in heaven for unless it were in a vision that he saw him it was in heaven that he saw him and if so the distance was as great as if he had not seen him therefore it could not be bottomed upon that ground for Christ was never a whit the more present because Stephen saw him And so the example of Lots praying to the Angel is no whit sutable because the Angel was not onely visible but present But what doth he mean by bringing in such an instance of Lots praying to an Angel will he set on foot the doctrine of invocation upon saints and Angels by it If he would do it that instance which he brings of Lot will not help him at all it was neither of the two Angels that Lot prayed to that he received into his house and lodged but the third Angel before whom Abraham stood who was now come to the other two and this was Jehovah in the person of the Son who often appeared as an Angel which appeareth from Gen. 19. ver 17. When they had brought them forth abroad he said escape for thy life that is when the two Angels which came first to Lot had brought Lot and his wife and daughters out he said that is netiher of the two Angels for they are mentioned joyntly all along and neither of them singled out from the other but it was the third Angel or Jehovah as he is called that appeared now to Lot and this was he to whom he prayed This appears further from ver 22. 23 24. I can do nothing saith this Angel to whom Lot prayed till thou come thither and afterward it is said the Lord rained c. in the Hebrew Jehovah rained c. from Jehovah the Son from the Father It was he that rained fire and brimstone that said before to Lot in answer to his prayer I have accepted thee in this thing haste thee thither for I can do nothing till thou come thither and this is called Jehovah and it is said he rained from Jehovah So that he is grosly mistaken in this also about Lots praying to a creature Angel by which he would prove it warrantable to pray to a creature Christ but puts it upon the visibleness of him when yet this Angel was not only visible but present and Jehovah in the person of a man He also excepts against John's prayer he saith it was an intimation of the Churches desire after Christs coming but no prayers and he quotes Rev. 6. 16. as a parallel place where such expressions are used yet no prayer But there is a different reason when one speaks to irrationall things which have no understanding nor knowledge and which are not capeable of a prayer and when speech is directed to persons that are capable thereof had those words been spoken to God let the mountains and the hills fall on us they would have been an imprecation which is one kind of prayer And whereas he saith if is but an intimation of desire and no prayer he shewes himself ignorant of the nature of prayer for what is prayer but an intimation of the desire of a person to one that is able to answer him in it And what are those expressions of the Apostles in their Epistles to the Churches but prayers for them yet they are intimations of the Apostles desires Grace be with you and Peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father c and Grace be with you and Peace from him that is was and which is to come and from Jesus Christ c. 1 Cor. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 13. 14. 2 John 2. Rev. 1 4 5. But he goes on and tells me I cannot saith he but looke on that as vain and frivolous which you set up as the wals and bulworkes of your Argument viz if Christ werâ— but a meer creature being in
happy are those that have gifts and hearts to contribute any thing this way See we the sedulity and industry of Paul this way Acts 20. 31. for the space of three yeeres I coased not said he to warne every one of you night and day with tears 2. The care and vigilancy of the Churches of Christ and of the Officers and Overseers thereof must be shewed towards their own members which relate to them for the healing of any that have been shaken or have departed from the faith for for that end are they associated together that they might watch over one another and the Elders are principally called forth to this work Acts 20. 31. Therefore Watch why what is the matter and he tels us because grievous wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the flock and of your selves men shall arise speaking perverse things drawing away disciples after them therefore watch And in order to a Churches discharging of its duty this way it is necessary in these times wherein the members of Churches are scattered abroad through many Providences and wherein errour is very prevalent for the Churches of Christ and the watchmen thereof 1. To send to all such who are at distance from them and live in dangerous places to know their faith least they should be tempted 1 Thes 3. 5. which place though it may respect the grace of faith which through affliction may be shaken yet it will hold in proportion in reference to the doctrine of faith And though the Apostle declareth what he did yet therein he is a pattetne what those that have a flock committed to them ought to do for without doubt what power the Apostles had for edification and not for destruction over all the Churches and Members thereof the same hath each Church and the Officers thereof over those that stand related to them And such who so belong to such Churches and have such Overseers are bound to render an account in a Christian way it is a duty by the Apostle Peters Precept but much rather is there an obligation where there is such a relation 2. It is necessary for the Churches to put this burden upon such members of theirs where such danger is of seducers if they will count it a burden to abstain from the fellowship of such persons who are not sound in doctrines among them because the Apostle requires it Rom 16. 17. 2 Iohn 7. 8 9 10. and because there is a double benefit in it 1. To such which erre so dangerously they may come to be awakened and afterward ashamed 2. To those that shun them and decline them they come to be kept thereby and preserved from their errour 3. It is the duty of the Church and watchmen thereof to withstand such who are false teachers and who deceive those of their flock by their lies as Paul resisted Elimas who would turn away the Deputy from the faith and as the shepheard is bound to chase away the wolfe for the safety of the flock 4. The Church and Elders thereof ought to be warning such of theirs that are in danger that is to be presenting them with the evil and danger of such doctrine and shewing them the horrid effects and consequences which will follow upon it as in Acts 20. 31. Remember how I warned you and in 1 Cor. 15. he shews the evil consequences of denying the Resurrection which they saw not but made light of it but the Apostle had looked into it did faithfully hold it forth to them 5. The Church of Christ and the Rulers thereof ought to reject and cast out such among theirs who are heady and high and are not reclaimed from such errours which they have sucked in from such seducers which have been among them after they have clearly held out the truth and detected the contrary errour and confuted it and after they have admonished and warned such once or twice or thrice or while there is hope It is clear from the Apostles example in delivering up Hymeneus for no other fault but for denying the Resurrection and troubling others with that doctrine And also from the Apostles direction given to Titus Tit. 3. 10 11. An heretick after once or twice admonition reject c. And indeed avoiding such and not receiving such nor saying Gods speed to such is an high censure little below that of delivering up to Satan Obj. But the question may be what edification there can be in passing such a sentence upon one that erres in doctrine either to him that is so censured or to others Sol. Grosse errours or heresies are not fallen into especially not persisted in after a cleare light held out through simple ignorance but through some distemper of the Will and some temptation upon the spirit Now though the censure of the Church hath no aptitude in it to give light where it was wanting to open their eyes to rectifie an erring judgement to convince the conscience or satisfie doubts and scruples which did arise through simple ignorance yet the censure of the Church may be a means to heal the will and to remove the temptation from the spirit what ever it be which may obstruct the right exercise of that light and understanding which such persons have and first the censure of the Church may occasion a more serious and deep searching into the truth or falshood of doctrines and may cure that precipitancy and headinesse and rashnesse in entertaining and ingaging in doctrines that are not sound and scriptural There is a vanity of spirit which lusteth after new opinions which causeth such facilenes in receiving that doctrines are no sooner presented but they are taken up but Church-proceedings may be a means to bring on sobriety 2. That partiality which is in persons in reference unto those whom they respect and affect may come to be healed for nothing is more frequent then to hold opinions and tenents with respect to persons but this distemper is many times best cured through the execution of Church power 3. If the truth be departed from for advantage sake that persons thereby may rise up to greater honour or preferment Church discipline gives a check many times to such lusts of the flesh that they cannot prevaile with that strength as before they did when the love of them carried persons to corrupt ingagements that way 4. Persons are ingaged to that opinion which they have turned aside to least they should be accounted fickle and wavering when yet they want Scripture-strength to maintain them but this perversenes and obstinacy is best cured by the admonitions and withdrawings of the Church from such persons 5. And if there should be any darknesse in the judgement in reference to plain and clear doctrines where such darknesse was not before it is argument to me that God hath justly put out their eyes in reference to something that hath displeased him and till they have been ashamed and have shewed repentance God will not dispel nor
scatter the clouds nor clear up their judgements Now Church admonition is the best expedient to bring them to repentance as the Apostle speaks of Hymeneus I have delivered him up to Satan saith he that he may learne not to blaspheme that is by denying a doctrine which he ought to have professed And so such scales of ignorance which were by sin contracted are by Church-censure removed many times Obj. But what if such persons be very holy in their lives and very profitable in their Communion must they notwithstanding undergo the censure of the Church Sol. 1. There is no holinesse but what flows from the doctrine of the Gospel rightly entertained and held by faith Therefore so long as they waver in the faith in points of great concernment and moment their holinesse must of necessity be waved also the Apostle saith Gal. 1. 7 8. Though I or an Angel from heaven bring any other Gospel and yet he means it of circumcision held by some as necessary to salvation let him be accursed 2. Such persons that are pertinacious in a corrupt opinion are evil leaven and their Communion cannot be so profitable as it is like to be hurtful to the fellowship to which they do belong 3. If they be Saints which do so greatly erre from the faith there ought to be so much the more compassion shewed to them and the greatest love and compassion that can be shewed lies in this to use the last remedy to them when other remedies fail and are ineffectual and it is the greatest cruelty to withhold any means which God hath sanctified for the healing of such as from Exod. 23. appears 5. What one Church of Jesus Christ doth this way in the execution of censure justly and according to rule all the Churches ought to ratifie for if such who are bound by any Church on earth be bound also in heaven then all the Churches in the world have not power to acquit or lose from it therefore in their walking towards such persons great or small they ought to confirme it by having no Communion nor fellowship with such that so such persons may come to see the miserable condition that they are in and may be ashamed and if any Churches or Christians should walk otherwise they sin against Christs ordinance and harden such persons in their sin and hinder their repentance and returning to the truth and will draw the blood of such souls upon their heads If this course were held with such who erre grossely and will not be healed it would awaken those who have left their first faith and are turned after fables and might recover them and would bring a trembling upon the rest that stand firme and unshaken and might preserve them from the like temptations and then there would be no cause for the interposing of the Magistrate which some do relish so evilly The fourth and last thing that I am to discusse is what the preservatives are by which persons may be kept in times in which errours are rife and the danger great in that respect 1. Let every person that pretends to saintship look to his implantation into Christ that it be right and true and that it be firme and sure and then it is to be hoped that he will abide in the Vine and the Vine in him and then he is more likely to stand fast in the faith for there is one that is able to keep him from falling and will keep him and if he fall he shall rise againe for there is one that is able to raise him and will raise him The greatest security of the Saints that they shall not depart from the faith is in their union and communion with Christ 2. Let persons commit themselves to God to be kept by him who can strengthen and settle and establish those that rest on him and wait for him while persons have leaned to their own understanding and have not looked up to the rock that is higher then they and come out of themselves and put their trust in him and begged his teaching and leading they have become vain in their thoughts and have erred from the truth 3. Let persons get a good root of knowledge within themselves and not attain onely to a generall knowledge of things but come up to a particular knowledge of them and know all things in the causes thereof so farre as Scripture gives light or as they have been taught for then though some other thing may be presented to them then what they have received yet the reasons of the things which they have beleeved will not be so soon answered in their souls If persons have but a forme of knowledge within them it is soon overturned 4. Let the love of the truth be laboured after as well as the knowledge of it for persons will be unwilling to relinquish that truth which they have found much sweetnesse in 5. Let the Scriptures be diligently searched into and perused and studied and let them be compared together and let Scripture intepret it selfe and let one Scripture give the sense of another Scripture when persons take up some one or two single scriptures and runne away with them without comparing them with other Scriptures they are led aside to error 6. Christians ought to take heed whom they hear what they hear and how they hear because of many Seducers and Deceivers that are gone abroad into the world and because there are many spirits of Antichrist who yet pretend to Christ 7. Christians ought to become wise unto sobriety and not to think of themselves above what is meet but to have humble and low thoughts of themselves for if once Christians be lifted up they readily fall in this snare of the Devill which is Error and Heresie 8. Christians ought to walk up to that light of truth that they have attained to because there is a promise belonging to such who will live in and practise the truths which they know John 7. 17. 9. Saints ought to consider that they have no more of the grace of faith then they hold of the doctrin of faith for they therfore beleeve because they have such a word of God to ground their belief upon if then they hold not that Word their belief will fall with it and then must needs be shaken as much in the grace of faith as they are in the ground of faith 10. Let them consider that there is no godlinesse but what grows out of the Gospel and springs from the truths of it if therefore the doctrine of grace in Christ be once overturned in the soule all godlinesse will be soon overturned with it 1 Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1. 11. Let them consider that if once they become unstable in the faith they become unstable in all their wayes for it is as when a tree is not firmly deeply and surely rooted in the earth but is loose in the ground it growes not flourisheth not nor is fruitful like to other
trees therfore saith Christ unlesse you abide in me that is firmly and surely hold me ye cannot bring forth fruit 12. Let all Christians take heed how they hold the truth in unrighteousnesse how they put away a good conscience in any thing and so tempt God lest God give them up to darknesse as a punishment of such an offence 13. Let every Christian joyn to some Church of Jesus Christ that walks closely with God in the truth that by the watchings of others he may be the better kept This is regular walking and God will be sure to blesse it 4 Let not any Christians run into temptations least God should leave them under the power of them and suffer them to be overcome of them but if they hear or read a doctrine that is contrary to what they received let them with much fear and trembling hear and read it and with much looking up to heaven for guidance let them be slow in entertaining that which is new strange to them and after much examination consultation and abundant confirmation out of Scripture let them do it If Saints will walk in this way the God of truth and grace will be with them they shall be kept unto salvation FINIS A TABLE of the Scriptures and Arguments formerly produced to prove the Deity of Jesus Christ and now vindicated and confirmed in the later Treatise ALSO Six other Arguments added shewing the dangerousness and destructiveness of the contrary Doctrine The first Scripture is Revel 1. 8. I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End page 15 The second Scripture is Joh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God p. 29 The third Scripture is Matth. 28. 20. Lo I am with you always unto the end of the world p. 35 The fourth Scripture is Rev. 2. 2. I know thy works c. p. 51 The fifth Scripture is Col. 1. 15. The first-born of every creature p. 61 The sixth Scripture is Col. 1. 16. By him were all things created p. 63 The seventh Scripture is Heb. 7. 3. Without father without mother without beginning of days and end of life made like unto the Son of God p. 90 The eighth Scripture is Prov. 8. 22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting p. 94 The ninth Scripture is Zech. 13. 7. Awake O sword against my Shepherd against the man that is my fellow p. 97 The tenth Scripture is Joh. 3. 13. No man hath ascended up into heaven but he that came down from heaven the Son of man that is in heaven p. 103 The last Scripture is Joh. 17. 5. And now O Father glorifie me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was p. 114 Arguments brought to prove the destructiveness of the contrary Doctrine Arg. 1. To make whole Christ a creature brings in a strange and a false God p. 126 Arg. 2. To make whole Christ a creature brings in a strange and false Christ p. 137 Arg. 3. To make whole Christ a creature brings in a false Faith p. 149 Arg. 4. To make whole Christ a creature brings in a false Baptism p. 158 Arg. 5. To make whole Christ a creature destroys the sufficiency of Christ as a Saviour p. 163 Arg. 6. To make whole Christ a creature overturns godliness p. 168 Arguments formerly produced now vindicated and confirmed Argum. 1. To make whole Christ a creature is to make a meer creature the object of Divine worship which yet according to Scripture is Idolatry Where the doctrine of Worship is discussed p. 173 Arg. 2 3. To make whole Christ a creature is to make a creature the object of faith and to make faith in a creature saving which yet is contrary to the Scripture p. 205 Arg. 4. To make whole Christ a creature is to make a creature a sufficient Saviour which yet is repugnant to the Scripture 214 Arg. 5. To make whole Christ a creature is to make a meer creature Mediator which is contrary to the Scripture Where the doctrine of Christ's Mediatorship is discussed p. 225 Arg. 6. To make whole Christ a creature is to make the righteousness not of God but of a meer man to he imputed to believers which is against the Scripture p. 252 Arg. 7. To make whole Christ a creature is to make a meer creature authoritively able from himself to forgive sin which yet is contrary to the Scripture p. 262 Arg. 8. To make whole Christ a creature is to destroy the doctrine of Christ's satisfaction to God Where the doctrine of Christ's satisfaction is largely handled p. 285 Arg. 9. To make whole Christ a creature destroys the intercession of Christ p. 363 Arg. 10. To make whole Christ a creature is to disable Christ to protect defend save direct rule and govern his Church in all the world which yet is attributed to Christ c. p. 373 Arg. 11. To make whole Christ a creature is to make prayer to him vain and frivolous he being now in heaven and we on earth p. 377 Arg. 12. To make whole Christ a creature is to make a meer creature the Judge of the world which is repugnant to Scripture p. 384 Concerning Errours the rise growth cure and preservatives against them p. 397 FINIS