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
Jews Innovation New Gods which our Fathers never heard of Deut. 32.17 We seem weary of the old garment the old Religion and love to put new peices to it though thereby we make it much worse Luk. 5.36 Nothing can be more directly opposite to our stedfastness in the Truth then this love of change since the holy Faith and Christian truth is like Jesus Christ who taught it the same yesterday and to day the same for ever Heb. 13. Let us labor therefore to correct this childishness to quit our selves like men and earnestly contend for that Faith which was once and but once delivered Jude 3. By the means aforesaid we may by Gods grace secure our selves against our selves that our own hearts shall not mislead us but though our hearts be sincere our understandings may be weak and we may be daily in danger of being seduced by the various arts and subtilties of cunning and busie seducers who lie in wait to deceive and therefore I shall offer this SECOND Caution which our blessed Lord hath taught us Mat. 7.15 II. BEWARE of false Prophets or false Teachers as St. Peter calls them 2 Pet. 2.1 and you will readily grant the Caution to be most seasonable and necessary if you will consider the Crafts they use to deceive you and your own danger if you be deceived inwardly saies our Saviour they are ravening Wolves whose aim and design is no less then the ruine and damnation of your souls What danger can be greater This cruel and malicious design they hide and cover under Sheeps clothing soft and fair pretences of meekness and humility professors of extraordinary holiness great care of souls singular love of Gods glory to which they add good words kind and flattering speeches Rom. 16.18 and which is the master piece of cunning they promise them liberty 2 Pet. 2.19 Simon Magus Basilides Carpocrates of old taught their Disciples to live as they listed and to do whatsoever they pleased Marcion taught his Disciples to believe that Christ came into the world to deliver men from the service of the Creator Meletius gave his followers a licence to live without fear and to be rul'd and govern'd by none I might instance in many more such false teachers of the same leaven but I need not since St. Peter in the place aforesaid assures us that it is the wont of false Teachers of what sort soever to promise their followers liberty this sweet promise of liberty or rather licenciousness being the most catching argument in the world to entice itching ears and lustful hearts to their party It is not unworthy of our observation that St. Peter saies they promise them liberty but indeed they neither do nor can by these means make them free for whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin What liberty then can it be to be exposed and tempted to the deadly slavery of Error and sin FALSE Teachers having all of them such malicious designs of ruine and such cunning artifices to deceive it behoves us very much to remember our Lords Caution Beware of false Prophets But how shall we discern them to be such Their inward designs we cannot see and their outward appearance is innocent and harmless fair and plausible sheeps clothing By their fruits you shall know them saies our Saviour they may act the sheep for a while but if you heed and mark them well you shall see the Wolf appear by their fruits you shall know them When you see some creeping into houses and instilling doctrines into the weaker sort by this you have just cause to suspect them for false Teachers 2 Tim. 3.6 of this sort are they which creep into houses from such turn away There shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable doctrines 2 Pet. 2.1 when they who offer themselves to be your Teachers shall forsake the lawful and publick assemblies established by just authority in the houses of prayer by this fruit you may know them Beloved remember the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ How that they told you there should be in the last time Mockers or Deceivers Jude 17 18. These be they who separate themselves beware of such therefore by these fruits you shall justly suspect them to be false Teachers but there is one Character or mark by which you shall undoubtedly know them St. Paul St. Peter St. Jude and all tell us for certain those are false Teachers by all means to be avoided who despise Government and speak evil of dignities when therefore you hear any Teachers blaspheming and reviling their Governors Civil or Ecclesiastical when you see them contemning their Laws confronting their Authority refusing to come at Moses and Aarons call to the Assemblies appointed by their Laws and setting up Meetings gathering assemblies against Moses and Aaron the Civil and Ecclesiastical authority come not neer lest ye perish in their sin Num. 16. It is Gods own caution there vers 26. and in the like case too for what else was the sin of Korah Dathan and Abiram but refusing to come at the call of Moses and Aaron Num. 16.12 We will not come up and the Gathering Congregations against them vers 19. And certainly to gather Congregations contrary to the Laws and commands of Moses and Aaron is to gather against THEM for it is the Authority that makes the King and the Priest Moses and Aaron so sacred that no man must rise against them when therefore you see or hear any so gathering Congregations contrary to the Laws Depart from them when you hear any Teachers thus despising Dominion remember that the Apostles have told us they are false Teachers and forget not our Lords own Caution Beware of false Prophets if any man after all this monition will still be bold to receive such because they come in sheeps clothing he deserves more blame then pitty if he be ruined and devoured III. OBEY your spiritual Guides and submit your selves to their conduct and direction Heb. 13.17 This Rule is given us to this very purpose that we may stand fast in the faith For after the Apostle had forewarned us vers 9. Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrines he prescribes this as the best prevention of such giddiness and lightness to obey them that have the Rule over us and submit our selves to them who watch for our souls Almighty God in infinite goodness to man knowing the weakness of the peoples understanding together with the want of time and means for the study of Truth hath provided some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ Eph. 4.12 That we henceforth be no more children toss'd to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness of men whereby they lie in wait to deceive Vers 14. God hath you see appointed you