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
studied to know more of Gods mind 4. Though this were true that our fathers held out some truths and that they did not seeke and enquire after more which yet I cannot grant and hold their condition good yet they did not reject further discoveries if revealed to them this is certaine where any truth is received with love there is a readinesse of spirit to embrace all truths that shall be discovered and revealed For this is an undeceiveable evidence of a man that hath received the truth as he is willing to receive all truths he opens his eyes broad for any communication of God so againe he will not reject any truth which is revealed to him Indeed he may reject a truth held forth to him because as yet he doth not apprehend it to be a truth but he cannot reject a truth discovered to him no bye ends wordly respects shall prevaile with him to reject it if God have discovered it 5. But fifthly thou sayest againe our fathers held out these and sought no further which I have disproved And yet thou sayest they were saved and so shalt thou if thou adhere in those which they have left thee well for this I say thus much Admit that they were saved I will grant that yet it will not be enough to cleere this to thee that thou shalt be saved if thou goe on no further they held out these truths but were willing to receive more sure they rejected none that God revealed Thou holdst out these truths and sayest thou adherest to them but dost not adhere to them thou holdst them forth in thy understanding but they are not wrought into thy heart nor held forth in thy life never a truth which thou sayest thou adherest unto which thou livest answerâ—ble to in thy conversation Againe thou adherest rather in them then to them thou seekest to know no more but they did nay thou rejectest those diâ—coveries of God which are made to thee which they did not They might be saved by that little light if true light when they were true to it when they walked answerable to it when they were willing to receive more when they rejected not that which was discovered But you cannot when you walke not answerable to what you have received when you are not willing to receive more when you reject what is discovered to you c. Men may be saved with many errours if not fuundamentall errours and by a little light if true light when no more is revealed But if those errours be discovered to be errours though not fundamentall errours and more truths be revealed to be truths though not foundation truths if you doe reject the one and embrace the other you cannot then looke for salvation Grace embraceth all truths rejects all errour God would have all saved by comming to the knowledge of the truth The Patriarchs lived in the sin of poligamy marrying many wives and esteemed it no sinne to take to themselves as many wives as they pleased so that they were not the wives of another And notwithstanding this great errour the Patriarchs were saved they knew no better and times of ignorance may plead some indulgence But now we cannot looke for life and yet practise such a sin because God hath revealed the truth in this which was more concealed before as Christ said from the beginning it was not so And if any had cause of two wives then the first man to populate the world but God made them male and female And this shall suffice for answer to that objection Object But is not the same truth saving and the same errour damning in any age and therefore that which saved them will save me Answ The truth which is saving now is saving hereafter but the reason why that truth which saves others will not us it doth not arise from any defect in the object truth but in the subject man if the subject receive some truths but not all if willing to entertaine some but to reject others and so to reject some errours but yet to retaine others though convinced of them then there is no salvation 2. The same truth which saved them will save us if received but if received of them and not of us it cannot save now there is no greater evidence that truth is not received then that you are not willing to entertaine more Truth where it comes where it is received into the heart it holds open the doore to let all its kindred in bids all truth welcome and therefore if thou say thou receivest some truth as truth and thy heart is shut up against other truths revealed thou deceivest thy own soule there is no surer character of received truth then willingnesse and universall willingnesse to embrace all Indeed men that receive truth into the head only doe not embrace all truth they pick and choose but if it be received into the heart then the doores are open to all truth and every truth comes with authority and carnall respects shall not hinder the embracing of them And thus we have done with the first how it may stand with Satans ends to the good we come to the second how it may stand with Satans ends to the bad 2. It may stand with Satans ends to the bad and that both to the 1. Receivers and 2. Promoters 1. It may stand with Satans ends to the receivers or to the bad in generall which we will shew you in five particulars 1. To lessen the credit or if you will beliefe of those things which they doe know Men who are yet of unregenerate life may know many truths of God and though they have not much faith of them yet some credit they give to them which begets awfull thoughts of the truth of God and this generall beliefe of these things doth restraine many from many sinnes and puts them upon many generall duties Now Satan cannot endure this light in them he knowes not what in time it may come too and therefore he sets many errours on foote that if possible he might lessen the beliefe of those things which are reall truths and render all you know which keepes you in some awe by virtue of that power the generall beliefe of them hath upon your spirit I say to render them all but notiones secundae chymeraes meere fancies or pollicies the better to keepe men in awe and under rule and some government And in the time of aboundiug errours he will thus deale with a man you thought that this and that was a truth but you see now it comes to be debated it proves but a shadow and so are other things you beleeve if once they were sifted and debated if understanding men would but deale faithfully and would apply themselves to dispute other things you give credit to they would be discovered to be of the same stamp and as little bottome in them as in these which you have built so much upon And here a poore man he is gone
end of the discourse as it is my end in the undertaking of this discourse both you and I shall have cause to blesse God I that I undertooke it and you that you heard it We will therefore begin with the first thing propounded viz. 1. How this may stand with Gods ends to suffer many abounding errours and opinions in the Churches And 1. I shall shew you how it may stand with Gods ends to the good 2. How it may stand with Gods ends to the bad 1. It may stand with Gods mercifull ends to the good 1. To them brought in 2. To them in his purpose to call 1. To them brought in God suffers errours 1. To sift and try his own people these times are sifting times As times of calamity when misery abounds so times of division when errours abounds they are times of sifting times wherein God will try what mettle you be made of whether you be corne or chaffe whether drosse or gold whether wheate or tares He is said in Amos 9.9 to sift the Nations I will sift the house of Israel as corne is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least graine fall upon the earth There is your comfort not a graine shall be lost who ever is true graine who ever is sound and sincere they shall never be lost God will preserve them none shall be lost Every man hath his houre of sifting one way or other he hath his houre of temptations and blessed are they which indure temptation blessed are they who hold out the triall James 1.12 A Souldiers valour and courage is not so well known in the Garrison as in the field there he is discovered So a Christian is not known till an houre of temptation comes and then he is discovered Now there are foure things which God puts us on to sift by permitting erronious opinions abroad 1. To sift our Conditions 2. Our Graces 3. Our Grounds 4. Our Ends. I shall speake only to the two first and shall take liberty to speake more largely to tâ— 1. God puts us on hereby to siâ—â— our conditions whether we are in such a condition as may fence us from seduction as may comfortably evidence to us and we may build upon it that we shall not be led away Indeed we cannot be in such a condition here but we may be led aside with some errours we are not perfect in grace nor are we perfect in knowledge here the Apostle tells us we know but in part but we may be and Gods people are in such a condition that they shall never be led away with destroying errours God will preserve them from them he hath promised that his elect shall not be deceived that is in destroying undoing errours this they shall not be Joh. 10.4.5 they shall not heare the voice of a stranger And this now puts us upon the search whether we are in such a condition as thereby we may be perswaded we shall be fenced from undoing errours that such errours shall never prevaile over us Now there are 6. Conditions to which God hath promised direction in truth and preservation from undoing errours and the soule is put on to search whether he be in those conditions 1. Whether we are in covenant with God he promiseth to teach all such Jer. 31.34 He will teach all such 2. Whether we be the children of God there is a promise to that Isa 54.13 And all thy children shall be taught of God So Joh. 6.45 3. Whether we are the friends of God Joh. 15.15 there is a promise to that henceforth I call you no more servants but friends for whatever I have heard of the Father I have made knowne unto you And the secrets of the Lord are with them that feare him as the Psalmist saith 4. Whether we have the Spirit of Christ there is a promise to that Joh. 16.13 He shall leade you into all truth And you have an unction whereby ye know all things by which is meant the Spirit 1 Joh. 2.20 5. Whether we walke humbly and obediently to every truth revealed whether we doe answer Gods ends in truths already made known Psal 25.9 The humble he will teach the meeke he will guide in judgement And Phil. 3.15 16. As many as be perfect let them be thus minded and if any be any otherwise minded God shall reveale it in his due time Neverthelesse whereto we have already attained let us walke by the same rule let us mind the same thing 6. Whether we have received the truth with love of it 2 Thess 2.10 11. Because they received not the truth with love of the truth therefore will God give them up to strong delusions to beleeve lies These are the conditions in the persons whom God will preserve from undoing errours And now this puts us upon the sifting of our selvs and of our conditions Ah saith the soule there are many errours abroad in the world if the Lord fence not my heart against them if I should receive them I am undone but what assurance have I that I shall not be led aside I see others who are men of greater parts of greater appearing graces led aside and what assurance have I that I shall not be carried away Am I in Covenant with God am I one of his children one of his friends have I the Spirit of Christ doe I walk humbly and obediently to every truth revealed have I received former truths with love of them if it be not so I have no assurance to be preserved from seducing errours And thus it puts the soule upon search of his condition And that is the first God suffers errours to sift his people first to put them upon search of their conditions 2. God permits it to sift our graces and this will try you to the back There are 5. Graces God doth now sift in his people 1. Their Knowledge here God tries yâ—â—r knowledge how you have thriven under meanes what knowledge you have to discerne betweene errour and truth light and darknesse God expects after all the meanes you have had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. â— that you should not still be children but men in knowledge and that you should be able to discerne betweene light and darknesse As we reade of a full assurance of faith so we reade of a full assurance of knowledge some that are weake in knowledge some stronger God doth by these try what your knowledge is under all the light you haue injoyed 2. God doth now try your Love whether or no you will adhere to his truth whether you will hold close to him and not suffer your selves to be rent away and carried away with every wind of doctrine God expects that we should be rooted and grounded in love Ephes 3. And now he would try your love your love to God your love to Christ your love to truth men that have not received the truth with the love of it that have entertained it into their
first mercifull end which God hath to his people in permitting errours in the Church to sift his people 2. A second mercifull end which God hath to his own people in the permitting errours viz. to exercise and quicken our graces As God suffers corruptions in our persons to exercise and quicken us he could as easily destroy them as subdue them unbeâ— them as conquer them so he suffers errours in his Churches on purpose to exercise and quicken his own people We had need of quickning rather then God would suffer his people to be dead he suffers the Canaanites to be as thornes in their sides and rather then dead he suffers errours in the Church and if there be any life in you this will quicken this will raise it God hath on purpose permitted in all ages some errour or other on foote to exercise the graces of that generation the Fathers were famous in their times for contending against the errours of their dayes Augustine was famous in his Contests against Pelagius Athanasius in his against Arius Cyrill in his against Nestorius Gregory Nazianzen in his against Macedonius Leo in his against Eutyches Hierom in his against Jovinianus Ruffinus c. Every age hath had its poison and its antidote There was never any generation but as there were some suffering truths in it some truth that perverse generations would not close withall so there were some infecting and poisoning errours in former times the abounding errours were the errours on the left hand and God grant that the spreading errours now be not errours on the right hand The Devill hath been so long beaten at the other that now like a wily serpent he will goe and change weapons he hath long been a prince of darknesse who hath ruled in the children of disobedience and now he would become an Angel of light if possible to seduce the children of the light You have something of that insinuated in the text Deceivers shall come in Christs name and say of your opinions loc here is Christ and this is high deceit It may be God will exercise this generation with more of this kind then others because they have learn'd Christ better they have more knowledge he hath done more for this generation then any other and therefore God may exercise us more then others And this is another end God hath in permitting errours to quicken and to exercise the graces of his people And there are foure graces or gratious dispositions that God chiefely aimes at to exercise in his people by this suffering errours abroad 1. He would exercise their knowledge or rather their conscientious study and search to know the mind of God more fully God would put them on to reade more studie more converse more to search the Scriptures more to examine what is truth and that diligently Many that are too much of Gallios temper now of whom you reade when he heard of those things which Paul preached it is said he cared not for those things This is a prophane temper of spirit and is naught A man may as well reject truth as errour if a man doe not try and examine for ought he knowes he hath rejected a truth instead of errour if he doe not sit down to examine what is truth and search whether it be an errour or a truth how should he be able to close with the one or reject the other There are many that reject the opinions of these dayes for errours because they will not be troubled to search and examine them whether they be truths or no. We are commanded to try all things 2 Thess 5.21 and how should we be grounded and established in the truth or know truth from errour if we doe not search into the mind of God and learne what is his mind and will 1 Joh. 4 1. Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God anno Many a truth is rejected in these dayes because many an errour is entertained You doe by opinions as you doe by Pamphlets because there be many lies abroad therefore you will not beleeve truth Certainly this is that which God preacheth to you in these times by the multitude of opinions to search what is truth to take more paines to examine and search out the mind of God It is not enough with Pilate to say what is truth and then sit still as many doe aske questions rather for discourse sake then out of desire to be satisfied but you must search the mind of God inquire diligently 2. God would now exercise your zeale of love if you have any love in you shew it to the Lord love is a zealous affection We say the fire burnes the hotter for the cold weather the colder the weather the hotter and more scorching is the fire it is per Antiperistasin so the more errours abroad the hotter will your love and zeale burne to the truth and in the truth As the bellowes blow the fire and intend it so doth this opposition intend our affections the more or love to God to truth to others 3. God doth it to exercise a dependentiall faith upon God that he would not suffer us to be carried away with errour If you have any faith you will now exercise it faith to beleeve promises he hath said we shall be taught of God he hath said he will leade us into the way of all truth c. here is faith exercised to close with promises to sue out promises and to depend on God for the performance of them Oh now the soule gets to a promise finds sweet there and some stay it the midst of his unsetlednesse now he esteemes a promise above a world 4. A fourth grace God would exercise is the grace of prayer Now will the soule goe and improve all his interest in Heaven that God would leade him into the way of all truth that he would not leave them to be carried away in any way of errour Now doth the soule ply the throne of grace indeed tells God of his pliablenesse to entertaine any truth of God truth with penury truth with prison truth with any affliction now he goes and tells him how willing he is to let in any light of God his eyes shall be broad open to receive what God shall reveale now he goes and beggs for the Fathers teaching the Spirits leading into the way of all truth professing the universall willingnesse of his spirit to close with naked truth upon any termes Such dispositions are now drawne forth which perhaps had no occasion to appeare all thy life before and there is comfort in exercise of them the soule is comforted in their actings although he cannot yet find what is the will and mind of God And this is the second mercifull end God hath to his people in the permitting and suffering errours as to sift them so to exercise them 3. A third mercifull end which God hath to his people in suffering errours and that is to
therefore how darknesse should be at that time when such aboundance of light is prophesied of how errour and abounding errour at such a time when truth and abounding truth shall be made known here is a wonder But Christ puts it out of question that this should be at the end of the world when many shall come in his name and say I am Christ And therefore we will enquire what may be the grounds that now in our times which are towards the end of all things that there should be such an aboundance of dangerous and erroneous opinions It is said indeed that at the end of the world Satan shall be loosed and he shall goe and deceive the nations Rev. 20.7 But I conceive that time of binding and loosing is not yet come Satan is not yet bound and therefore he hath yet liberty though the liberty of his chaine only and goes now about so farre as God will give him permission to be a spirit of seduction and delusion in the hearts of men And therefore 1. The first great ground of abounding errours now I conceive to be Satan who is called the god of this world and is the Prince of darknesse and therfore is the patron of errour As all truth is light so all errour is darknesse as God is the Father of light and truth so is Satan the grand-father of darknesse and errour who hath long walked as a Prince of darknesse and hath ruled and raigned in the darkest times and places and in the darknesse of our understanding till at last the glorious truth and light of the Gospel hath discovered him and therefore from a Prince of darknesse he labours now to turne to an Angel of light and so seduce those by a false light which he could not prevaile withall as a Prince of darknesse As he was a Prince of daâ—knesse so he blinded mens eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.4 Whom the god of this world hath blinded lest the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them But as he is an Angel of light so he doth not blind but enlighten men with a false light which enlightning is a blinding As the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. where he tels them of false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvell saith he for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light He had long time been successefull with the Gentiles as a Prince of darknesse but he could prevaile in that shape no longer and therfore he comes now to deceive them as an Angel of light In the first he blinds in the second he deceives in the first he is an opposer in this a seducer And here is a great deale in this Satan transforming himselfe into an Angel of light Why how would an Angel of light come to win you to the truth would he tell you that this is a truth of God a glorious truth would he set out the danger of rejecting it the blessednesse of entertaining it would he commend the truth from the effects and operations of it if it were entertained how it would make us wise direct us in service be helpfull to our walking destructive to our lusts Why for ought I know Satan may use all the same arguments and motives to prevaile with us to the entertainment of errour what ever a blessed Angel of light might use as an argument or motive to prevaile with us to close with truth that may Satan use too to perswade with us to entertaine an errour otherwise he could not transforme himselfe into an Angel of light if he did not act and deale with us so as it is not possible by his acting to discerne him from an Angel of light how could he be said to be transformed into an Angel of light if men might say this is the Prince of darknesse And the same you see of those false Apostles and deceitfull workers who yet transformed themselves saith he into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 that is not barely giving out that they were the Apostles of Christ as Rev. 2.2 you reade of some that said they were Apostles but were found lyers but it was a transforming of themselves into the Apostles of Christ and would preach errour as the Apostles preached truth and might use the same arguments motives perswasions which the Apostles did for the entertainment of truth for the embracing of errour Christ tells us the same here many shall come in my name and say loe here is Christ And this is the first ground of abounding errours at this time the malice of Satan who is the envious man who then loves to sow his tarâ—s when God is sowing wheate who then loves to communicate errours when God is discovering truth and perhaps will use the same arguments and motives to perswade to one which God doth to prevaile to the other nay and how farre he may convey false light as God doth true I know not 2. A second ground of abounding errours may be the corruption of mens hearts Satan is the father a corrupt heart the mother and errour the daughter Satan conveyes the seed the heart is the wombe which being formed and cherished there its full moneths at last the monster is brought forth There is not only seminarium hostis required to the birth of errour but partus cordis not only the suggestion of Satan but the conception of the heart we say seed will never grow in a living body unlesse there be a wombe to nourish it so Satan could not prevaile he could not set afoote his errours if he found not corruption in our hearts to receive and cherish them And therefore as Christ said Quid tibi facturuâ— est tentator te vince victâ—â— est Satan Aug. the Prince of the world commeth but shall find nothing in me Indeed its true he seduced Eve who yet had no sin in her upon which hath been raised many questions how Eve could consent to a sinfull action when yet there was no sin in her consent implies sin the Apostle tels us Satan beguiled her he was too crafty for her he deluded her he got her eare and by that stole into her heart he got her eye and by that worked into her spirit she was good but not immutably good she was wise but knew not all Satan therefore worked into her either making use of her naturals which in themselves were not sinfull making use of her eye her eare her naturall desires after further perfection or else being too hard for her by his sophistry who was the wily serpent and that 's implied Gen. 3.12 and 1 Tim. 2.14 That she tasted of that God had forbidden was her sin but yet there was sin before That she looked on it was sin not simply for she might looke upon all the fruit in the garden but looking upon it in the devils glasse as he discovered
and corrupt ends these are in danger to be led aside with errour Vix queritur Iesus propter Iesum There are many corrupt ends for which most men either embrace or adhere to truth few seeke Christ for Christ so few there are that doe embrace truth for truth Now this is certaine * Qui hoc desiderat propter aliud non hoc desiderat sed aliud he that desires any thing for another thing doth not desire this but the other thing and therefore can as well close with an errour as a truth if it may be serviceable to that end which he desires It would be an endlesse worke to tell you all the corrupt ends which men of corrupt principles have in the embracing of truth Indeed who can do it one man perhaps sees it a way of gaine of honour of preferment and advancement though this hath been very seldome that greatnesse did lie in the way of goodnesse and advancement in the way of truth yet such a time may come and therefore a corrupt heart sides with it or perhaps he sees such and such whom he knows and values this way and therefore he goes the same way with them Men that doe not believe truth nor love truth may side with it for corrupt ends Leo the tenth that monster of men though he had meane thoughts of the Gospell Quantas nobis divitias comparavit haec â—abula Evangelij yet he could side with the Gospell because it brought treasure into his coffers Most men doe entertain truths as you doe servants as I have told you and will examine and know what they can doe for them before they do entertain them or they adhere to truth as the Ivy to the tree which is not because it loves it but because it sucks from it berries and leaves because it nourisheth and succours it By this craft we have our gaine saith Diana's crafts-men As they said of an errour so many say of truth alas how few men that entertain naked truth and that are willing to embrace truth with singlenâ—sse of spirit We say men alwaies worship the rising not the declining Sunne So rising truths advancing truths enriching truths they will owne But who will owne a sinking a declining cause who will close with a persecuted truth an impoverishing truth an imprisoning truth Which is a plain evidence that truth is not entertain'd for truths sake Men will see nothing truth that stands not with their advancements their greatnesse their accommodations when truth comes once to live on us we grow quickly weary of truth And such men as these they are in the high way to errour he that will be of truths side shall not ever be of the rising side And when men cannot finde these things in the waies of truth and do see them in a way of errour they will forsake truth and close with errour 5. All such who are not grounded and established in the truth The house built on the sands stood not long sandy foundations can never hold men unbottom'd can never be firme like the weather-cock they stand but this way for want of a stronger winde many who are of this uncertainty of spirit like water that are formed according to the vessell that holds it so they according to company they converse withall like trees without root they are shaken with every winde with every breath of men It may be they reade this or heare this man and they are full in his thoughts another comes and leaves another impression on their spirits This man is a poore man he is nothing his light is in others he is darknesse his principles are in others he himselfe is nothing but what you will make him he is a man to be argued into errour or truth according to the temper of his companion he is upon a darke stormy sea and steers by the light is held out he hath none within him to guide him and he fastens his boat to the next barge moved by anothers motion for he hath none of his owne This is a man a peece of paste fit to be moulded up in what forme and to what temper you please When the streame or flood comes it cannot move trees and houses but it sweeps away what ever lies loose so here when the streame of errour comes though rooted Christians stand firme yet such who sit loose are apt to be carried away And therefore the Apostle bids us not to be ever children carried away with every winde of doctrine this is to be like weather-cocks which are moved with every blast he bids us to labour to get stablished in the truth even as a house upon a foundation that nothing can shake or unsettle us 6. Such who have rejected truths revealed upon corrupt grounds it may be there are such whom God hath made clear convincing discoveries of truth to them and yet because they could not stand with corrupt aimes and selfish ends therefore they have rejected them as the Jews did Christ how just is it with God to give up such to a spirit of errour It is the observation of Pareus upon the Jewes Act. 5.36 where you reade of many of the Jewes that were seduced he tels us * Iusto judicio Dei seducti multi fueruÌ„t ut crederent impostoribus quia Christo fideÌ„ habere nolucruat Par. It was just with God that they should believe imposters because they would not give credit to the truth It was just with God that they should be punished with embracing a shadow who had rejected the substance with errour who rejected truth Christians you have had many cleare discoveries of truth to you Let not corrupt ends selfish respects come in take heed of rejecting any truth for corrupt ends if you doe you will be in the high way to be led aside with errour 7. All such who have the world for their god men that have the world for their god must embrace such a religion as the world will dictate to them The Apostle tels us The love of money will cause men to erre from the faith it will make men any thing to get the world and any thing to keepe the world Demas is a sad example of this he had the world in his eye and he embraced the world and forsooke Christ The love of the world will make a man shie to acknowledge truth how shie was Nicodemus to acknowledge Christ and it was for feare of the Jewes It will cause a man to balke and decline truth Men that have Court designes will not owne any the Court frowns on they balke them So if men have worldly designes they will never owne those truths the world frowns on Nay it will make a man deny truth yea truths professed truths preached truths contended for upon this ground many of the Jewes renounced Christ because if they should acknowledge him they said the Romans would come and take away their place and Nation Nay the love of the
you study if you examine and be faithfull in your scrutiny God will reveal them to you also at least so much as is for your comfort and chearfull walking in the waies of God Fourthly I told you that accessory truths were either such as were evident and clear or such as were doubtfull and obscure The Question needs not to be asked of the first of these for those that are evident and clear of themselves every Christian may judge of But the Question will be of obscure and doubtfull truths * See Mast Reynolds on the 110 Psa p. 273 274. Of those which are doubtfull some are obscure respectu objecti rejectu subjecti Some are obscure in themselves and some are obscure not in themselves but to us If the Question be of such as are obscure in themselves who shall judge of Gods minde in them I say there are some truths which are beyond the fathom of the tallest understanding there are certain Abysses and depths that no man is able to sound no finite understanding can determine See Reynolds conf with Hart. p. 96 97 98. here we must fall down and adore fall down and admire the doctrine of the Trinity and of the Vnity of divine essence in the Trinity of persons the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ the hypostaticall Vnion of natures in one Person the doctrine of Predestination of the Jews rejection which was a depth to the Apostle himself over which he cries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.33 34. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out for who hath known the minde of the Lord or who hath been his Councellour In other truths such as were necessary the Apostle when he makes the same Query he gives this answer But we have the minde of Christ as you may see in 1 Cor. 2.16 Who hath known the minde of the Lord that he may instruct him or who hath been his Counsellour We have here the same Query but not the same answer he answers this Query We have the minde of Christ which is to be understood in things necessary In the other you see he makes the Question and leaves it without answer only cries out Oh the depth of the wisdome So that if the Question be of Doctrines in themselves obscure It is beyond man to fathom faith is our best understanding admiring and adoring our best knowledge But now if the Question be of such truths that are not obscure in themselves but obscure to us not to all but to some which are therefore obscure by reason of the imperfection of our knowledge c. It is the office of the Ministers of the Gospel to preach them and reveal them of Synods and Councels to declare them and of every Christian to study them to examine to search them out There are four waies that we are to goe in the finding out of truths doubtfull 1. Look into the harmony of Scripture see what the agreement what the concord of the Word of God will doe to help thee Consul Whitak cont 1 q 5. c. â— ubi de mediis inveniendi verum Scripturarum sensum Scripturae Scripturis conferendae fi quid in Scripturis recte intell gere volumus See â—eynolds c. 2. divis 2. p. 95 96. Faâ—eamur ergo necessâ— est justificationis nomen variè sumi nisi velimus exisâ—mare Apostolos à se dissentire pugnantia enunciare apud Jacobum ergo justificari idem valet quod justum declarari ac demonstrari apud Paulum verò justificari idem est quod à peccatis omnibus absolvi justumque apud Deum reputari Whitak loco citat many things seem to be truths if you look on one text alone that yet if you did but look upon the harmony of the Word would thereby be discovered to be errours For example St James saith Chap. 2. ver 21. Abraham was justified by works now if you look no further it holds forth this that we are justified by works for as the father of the faithfull was justified so all the children all believers must be justified and is this a truth then Certainly no. Why but how shall we know it we must compare Scripture with Scripture as for example in this point compare this place of James with Rom. 4.2 3. If Abraham were justified by works he had then somewhat whereof to glory for what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousnesse and therefore the one speaks of justification before men the other of justification before God the one of justification properly the other of declarative justification Study the harmony of Scripture see how one Scripture agrees with another and how this doctrine agrees with all Rom. 12 6 Analogia fidei nihil aliud est quam constans perpetua sententia Scripturae in apertis minimâ— obscuris locis quales sunt Articuli fidei in symbolo quaesque continentur in oratione dominica in decalogo c. Consul Whitak loc citat 2. Look upon the Analogie of faith whatsoever doctrine either directly or by way of immediate consequence opposeth the Analogie of faith is to be rejected as contrary to the platform of wholsome words that 's another way to finde out truth in doubtfull cases See the Analogie of faith look over your Creed the Lords prayer crooked things are discerned by bringing them to straight c. Many Doctrins would be found erroneous if they were but brought to the Analogie of faith That doctrine of Transubstantiation or rather monster of opinions which they would seem to build on Scripture This is my Body if it were but brought to the Analogie of faith you shall see at once it overthrows four severall Articles 1. The incarnation of Christ 2. His ascension 3. His sitting at the right-hand of God 4. His comming to Judgement for if Christs body be so often made of a peece of bread and in so many places at one time how can all this be The Doctrine of Christs kingdom and visible glory before the day of Judgement it seems to contradict another part of it he is gone to heaven sits at the right-hand of God and from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead So that nothing is between his sitting in heaven and his comming to judgement Alsted and therefore those that most rationally hold it doe say this Kingdom shall be in tempore judicij the time of judgement the Jews conversion and the fulness of the Gentiles are to be the morning of it 3. Look upon the concordant confessions of the Churches of Christ in all ages here is another way and certainly it doth afford a great deal of light and help in points and cases doubtfull this is not to submit my judgement and faith unto any authority of man but to goe to them who excell to be helpers
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
this mountain and you say that in Jerusalem men ought to worship Here she pleads a custom and one more ancient then the other only it wanted prescription which the other had Ancient custom without prescription will not hold The Pharisees they dealt the same way with Christ c. and Christ with them as you see at large Matth. 5. It is well spoken of Cyprian a Non debe mu◠attendere quid aliquis ante nos secerit aut faciendum putaret sed quid qui ante omnes Christus prior secerit Cypr. We are not to consider what others have done before us but what Christ who is before all hath done and commanded Custom without truth is but old errour b Non hominum consuetudinē sed Dei veritatem sequi debemus Cypr. epist 7. p. 156. We are not to follow the custom of men but the truth of God if men plead custome without prescription Antiquity without command we may say with Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christus nobis antiquitas Christ is our Antiquity He saith of himself that he is the way the truth and the life the truth not the custom c Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas advertendum est quod Dominus dicit Ego sum via veritas vita non dixit Ego sum consuetudo sed Veritas Aug. Veritati nemo praescribere potest non spatium temporum non patrocinta personarum non privilegium nationum ex his enim ferè consuetudo initium ab aliquâ ignorantia aut simplicitate sortita in usum per successionem corroboratur ita adversus veritatem vindicatur Tertul. It is that which learned Jewel urgeth against the Papists from that place Eccles 7.10 Say not thou What is the cause that the former daies are better then these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this 2. Qu. Whether the newness of an opinion be not a sufficient mark to discover it an errour For the answer of this I must also premise some distinctions 1. Things may be said to be new in respect of Gods prescription or in respect of mans invention 2. Things may be said to be new in respect of institution or in respect of restitution The Commandment of love it was called a new Commandment as Christ saith Joh. 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another This was not new in respect of its institution but in respect of its restitution * Non quia novum mandatum sed quia de novo redintegratum not because it was new but because it was renewed Many things are called new which yet are not so in respect of institution but in respect of restitution 3. Things may be said to be new in respect of Creation or apparition the moon is new not in respect of Creation but in respect of apparition Many things which appear to us to be new which are not new indeed 4. And this brings in a fourth distinction things may be said to be new in respect of being as a childe is said to be new-born because it never had a being in the world before or a thing may be said to be new in respect of observation a thing may be said to be in being before which yet was not observed nor taken notice of before There are many things which are not new in themselves which yet may be new to us many things which are not new in respect of being which yet are new in respect of observation Having premised this we will come to answer the Question Whether the newness of an opinion c. And I will answer this Question in these two Conclusions Conclus 1. The newnesse of opinion is enough to discover it an errour if it be new in respect of institution not if it be new in respect of restitution Institution of truth is only Gods work none is able to institute doctrine or worship but only God If there be no Word of God to clear it no Scripture to countenance an opinion it is to be rejected as a Chimaera a fancy of man But now an opinion may be new in respect of restitution and yet be a truth when the worship of God comes to be restored when doctrine comes to be cleared and setled this is not any new institution of doctrine or worship but the restitution of it it is not worship instituted but worship restored It is that worship which God hath prescribed in his Word already only now freed and cleared from the corruptions and pollutions of it Truth may be old in respect of institution and prescription though new in respect of the restitution and restoring of it as it was in Hezekiah's time and it was the work of Christ in Matth. 5. Conclus 2. The newness of an opinion is enough to discover it an errour if it be new in respect of being but not if it be new in respect of observation Indeed those opinions which are new in respect of being that have no foundation in the Word no being in the Scripture they may be rejected as errours but not such as are new in respect of observation there may be many precious truths which are new to us which yet are not new in themselves they are new in respect of our observation we never took notice of them before they were hid from our eyes yet they are not new in respect of their being Augustins doctrine of conversion that it is of grace and not of free-will was new in it's time though now generally received and then it was not new in respect of being the Scriptures are full for it but new in respect of observation men had not observed they had not taken notice of it before Luthers doctrine of justification that it is of grace and not of works was new also in it's time and he had a world to oppose him and crie it down for novelty but this was not new in it's being what doctrine have we more clear in the Word But it was new in respect of observation Calvins doctrine of predestination that it is of grace and not of faith and works fore-seen this was new in it's time though a clear and ancient truth It was not new in respect of it's being it is clearly revealed in the Word but new in respect of observation it was clouded with errours that men could not discern and take notice of it before This is certain that towards the end of the world as there will be the broachings of many errours so there shall be the discovery of many glorious truths as I have fully cleared to you I speak not this to countenance any errour that our times or after times shall set on foot but to take off prejudice that lies upon any doctrine or truth either newly or more clearly and fully discovered that they reject it not for the newnesse of it I have observed it in all ages Fama miratrix senioris aevi See Iewels
what ever comes from them On the contrary if they see mens practices are irregular they presently conclude their judgement is irregular too and that is a false light which carries a man into by-paths certainly say they true light would direct and steer men into paths of holinesse This is still concluded on That men of a bad life are certainly men of as ill a belief and sin in practice is a sure note of errour in judgement And there is great reason for such thoughts because if the things received were truth they would have a great influence into mens lives they would have a great command over mens practices and waies And if the light within them were not directive certainly it would be afflictive if it did not guide them it would scourge them and they could not be able to live in sinfull practices against such eminent convictions of light to the contrary and therefore they conclude such as is the practice such is the principle and that sinfull life is accompanied with as bad doctrine where men doe walk in darknesse and doe works of darknesse surely they are in darknesse there is no light in them It was the Fathers argument of Nero who was a wicked man a monster of men Certainly that is the truth which Nero persecutes And so doe we conclude certainly that is errour which these men countenance and truth which they oppose those are errours in judgement which are accompanied with such sins in life and that judgement cannot but be erroneous where the life is so enormious Thus it is with most men they take up the judgement of things by mans practices not by Gods precepts by mens walking not by Gods rules and indeed the lives and practices of men are great obstacles and stumbling blocks to the entertainment of truth if bad and as great advantages to errour if unblameable And to speak truth these are probable grounds of truth and errour but they are not infallible evidences I say they are probable grounds The end of all truth is to reform our lives to transform our hearts And the power of truth doth enable men to live holily It doth not only teach us to doe so Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts But it doth inable us to doe so it is called a sanctifying truth Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth So that certainly it is a probable signe where men are sinfull in their lives they are erroneous in their judgements too But yet it is not an infallible evidence It 's possible to be erroneous in judgement and yet unblameable in conversation The Pharisees they were unblameable in their conversation who could charge them you may reade how he vaunts himself over the poor Publican Luk. 18.11 But yet you know he was erroneous in his judgement The like I may say of Arius of Arminius they were said to be men unblameable in their lives but yet fearfull erroneous in their judgements one denying the deity of Christ and the other denying the grace of Christ under the pretence of extending it to all they overthrow the nature of it and give it to none And are not many of the Papists also strict and unblameable in their lives as who more strict then they who look for justification and salvation by what they doe you shall have more charitable works from those who look to purchase heaven by them or those who thinke by them to perswade with God and to procure Gods favour to them I speak it not without sorrow then from those who yet have the affection of charity and only look for and are assured of their salvation by Christ alone Men doe not work so freely from ingagement as to ingage not from sense of mercy and thankefulnesse for it as to procure mercy and ingage God to them but this by the way Now to return I say some of the most devout of the Papists are strict and unblameable in their lives yet are they erroneous in their judgements so that you see it is possible to be erroneous in judgement and yet unblameable in life and conversation with men And again I say it is possible to be right in judgement and yet naught in life all convinced men are not converted men all that are sound in judgement in the main things are not holy of life their passions and corrupt and sinfull affections blinde their judgements in this or that particular act or may over-power their judgements and sway and carry them in those waies which their own light and conscience condemns them in And these are those which we call sinners against conscience against light of which sort are most of they who live in the Church of God They are men self-condemned their consciences and light within them tels them they doe wickedly and sinfully but yet their passions and corrupt affections carry them on violently in those waies of sin But now such men are right in judgement only by the power of argument the evidence of reason not by the demonstration of the spirit that light they have of truth it is but a common not a saving not a sanctifying light it is but a generall not a spirituall powerfull transforming and changing light The Toad though the whole body be poyson yet they say it hath a pearl in its head it serves thus farre for our turn it is one of the best pearls ever was found in it though men may have poysonous hearts and are of corrupt lives yet may they be for a time right in judgement in main things I say 1. For a time And 2. In main things with those two restrictions it may hold 1. For a time for it will not be long either the light will overcome sin in life or the sinfull life will darken and obscure the light God saith so 2 Thess 2.10 11. They who receive the truth and not with love of it they shall be given up to strong delusions to believe lies c. And because we know not when God may leave such men and give them up to blindenesse of minde to strong delusions and to their hearts lusts therefore is it not safe to receive knowledge or rather doctrine from their lips 2. The second restriction is in main things for a time they may be right in their judgements in main things that is in generall and common things which are of universall reception and have universall consent of which things either by education or by industry and art and diligence they have gotten and acquired the light and knowledge of God reveals no secrets to them those he reserves to impart to his friends he tels us The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him Psal 25.14 And Christ tels his Disciples Henceforth I call you not servants but friends And upon this ground Because what ever I have heard of the Father I have made known to you Joh. 15.15 Joh. 15.15 Others have
the Spirit it is an infallible character of truth But there are four other acceptations of learning which we shall speak unto 1. Learning taken for the knowledge of tongues 2. For knowledge in Arts and Sciences 3. As it is taken for that knowledge which is meerly acquisite in divine things 4. As it is taken for knowledge partly acquisite and partly infused Out of these distinctions we shall frame these answers 1. If by learning be meant the knowledge of tongues only as I told you it was taken in my first distinction of humane learning then I say that neither is that learning sufficient to evidence that a man is in the truth nor the want of it conclude a man to be in an errour Indeed that kinde of learning hath but little of man and reason in it even the least of man it is conversant rather about words than about reason it rather helps to judge of words then of matter it is little help to judge of errour or truth it judgeth more of words then things 2. If by learning be meant the knowledge in Arts and Sciences neither is this conclusive those that excelled most in this kinde of learning have been the greatest enemies against the truth all their knowledge hath been but the strengthnings to carnall reason the fortifications of corrupt reason to make it more strong to oppugne and oppose the truth When the Apostle came to Athens which was the eye of the world or the chief Magazine of the earth for this kinde of learning you see what strong opposition he found all their learning did but fortifie them against the truth which he published And when he preached to them of the resurrection they cry out What will this babler say they judged all but babling which gain-sayed their tenents And he tels you what entertainment the Gospel found among them 1 Cor. 1.23 24. 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We preach Christ crucified which to the Jews is a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse They looked upon this glorious mystery of the Gospel but a silly folly That 's the second 3. If by learning be meant meer acquisite knowledge in divine things or a knowledge gotten up meerly by conversing with Scripture with the writings of holy and learned men then I say again that neither the enjoyment of this will be conclusive that man is in the truth nor will the want of much of this evidence a man is in an errour I have known a man full read in all the writings of men that could better tell you another mans judgement then his own and when out of the abundance of his reading he hath set you down many severall opinions of Fathers and others concerning a point he hath at last concluded with the worst himself Besides there be many errours in the writings of the Fathers and so indeed in all humane writings and he that goes to others to â—ake up his knowledge of truth and wants light within him to distinguish of things that differ may sooner side with an errour then close with a truth Nay if he converse with Scripture and have not a light within him for want of that he may by mistakes run upon errour in steed of truth if the holiest men who have the light of the Spirit out of the imperfection of their light and knowledge may mistake then much more may he who hath no light in him he who though he have a rationall yet wants a spirituall light The Apostle tels us The carnall man is not able to understand the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Cor. 2.14 I know they distinguish between animalis homo homo non renatus between a carnall man and an unregerate man and say that though the carnall man is not able to discern of the things of the Spirit of God yet the unregenerate man may he hath common gifts light knowledge which puts a difference between him and a carnal man though they do not declare him a renewed a regenerate man But yet I say that if we respect the kindes of knowledge neither the carnall nor the unregenerate man can understand the things of the Spirit of God and the Apostles ground shall be mine because they are spiritually discerned which is as much as this because he is not spirituall because he wants an eye from above because he hath no light that is adaequate proportionable to the things revealed they doe exceed captum humanum mans reason and apprehension they are depths above his line to fathom there is a sublimity in the object and a debility in the subject he wants an eye as the naturall eye must enable you to discern of naturall things so a spirituall eye must enable you to discern of spirituall things he may talk of them and dispute of them and have rationall apprehensions of them but no spirituall and divine discoveries of them to his soul he sees them but by the light of the Starrs not by the light of the Sun he sees them by a rationall conception as a man but not by the spirituall notion of them as a Christian As the Apostle shews afterward when he tels you That God hath revealed these things to us by his Spirit such things as eye hath not seen c. that is no naturall eye could apprehend nor any eye which is not enlightned by the light of Christ and the reason why they perceived them was because they had a spirituall eye nay the minde of Christ as in the last verse And so much for the third 4. If by learning be meant such knowledge as is in godly men or if you will so put it up to the utmost such knowledge as is not only in the ordinary ranke of godly men but such as is in those who doe excell and have improved their knowledge by industry by reading and have heightened and refined their intellectuals by the best and choicest helps afforded to man Yet I say though this be a probable signe that the opinion which such men hold forth is a truth yet it cannot be a conclusive and infallible evidence the best of men and the most learned of men have their imperfections their blots their failings It may be said of the most knowing man in the world He knows but in part which though the Apostle spake of degrees and measures of the knowledge of good and truth in the Saints yet it may be meant in respect of the degrees of the knowledge of evil and errour in them also We know but in part I have read of a passage in Reynolds * Quanto ingenio Origines Tertullianâ—s quanta doctrina quam singulari eloquentia suerint omnes intelligunt adeo ut alter Graecorum alter Latinorum Princeps est habitus aâ—qui isti in errores multos inciderunt qui vero pertinaciter eorum sententias defenâ—eruÌ„t haeretici habiti suâ— Terâ—â—â—â—anistae Origenistae appellati Censur
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
loved him not wisely he blamed their ignorance And thus farre it holds men may doe things with honest affections and yet doe them ignorantly And if you grant not this what flesh can be saved There were many of our Fathers that have opposed many things as errours Cons Park de polit eccles l. 2. c. 20. p. 256. which are the received truths of God certainly they opposed them with honesty of heart though not with an understanding heart the fault was not so much in their heart as in their head they did not oppose them out of sinister and corrupt affections but with honesty of heart they walked according to their notion of things and that will serve to demonstrate a man an honest man though not an upright man a good Christian that demonstration must be taken in upon better grounds It was said of Asa That notwithstanding the high places were not removed yet his heart was perfect with the Lord all his daies 1 King 15.14 perfect that is sincere A man may have a perfect heart in this sense that is a sincere heart and yet have many failings in life nay and not only many imperfections in his judgement but some errours too such as are not damnable fundamentall errours but only circumstantiall and lesser but then these errours must a rise from the imperfections of his knowledge not from the corruption of his heart The Apostle seems to imply this Phil. 3.15 16. As many as be perfect let them be thus minded and if any be otherwise minded God shall reveal even that unto them Neverthelesse whereunto you have already at mined let us walk by the same rule let us minde the same things So much for the third 4. Here is another efficacy of errour it will ingage a man to doe much for it a man may doe much service for an errour as well as for a truth a man may preach may write may dispute may be at much pains spare for no cost to advance and promote to an errour I could give you as you all thinke innumerable testimonies and experiences of this It was said of the Pharisees that they would compasse sea and land take much pains to make a Profelyte which when they had done A man was much more the childe of the devil then he was before as Christ saith And what pains will not the Papists take how doe they compasse sea and land What unwearâ—able pains doe they take and all this to Proselyte men to bring them to their Religion Doth it not often fare that a servant of errour will doe much more for it then they who are the children of truth will doe for the truth What drudges are they often to Satan when we are too slack in the service of God and at two times especially the authours and maintainers of errour are active and sedulous viz. either in the rise of it or in the fall of it either when it first appears or when it doth decline then they set themselves with all their strength in the one to advance it in the other to hold it up When the beast was wounded there was great pains to lick him whole again It teacheth us what we are to doe for truth Indeed errour is more beholding to it's servants then truth is to hers Oh that men should doe so much for the devil and so little for God that they should think no pains too much for errour and that we should be at no greater layings out for the truth It is a consideration may humble us all that men should doe more for their sins then others for their graces Micah 6.8 That men should take more pains and be at more cost for errour then we will be at for the truth As men will spend themselves to nothing for a sin to maintain their lusts so will they doe for an errour nay and much more because when men spend themselves for a sin a lust they doe it not without some check of conscience for the doing of it they have inward troubles and stings of conscience in the doing of it they are self-condemned in it and therefore cannot do it without much regreeting but when a man doth any thing for an errour when a deluded man spends himself for his opinion he doth it chearfully he glories in it he looks upon all as set upon Gods score he looks upon what he doth as the evidence of his sincerity and love to God and therefore glories in it triumphs in it and doth it chearfully he is glad he hath been so serviceable to his opinion and looks upon it as being serviceable to God in it as no question many have done and many deluded Papists do and this is a great work of errour 5. As it will engage a man to doe so it will check a mans conscience if he doe not As when a man deals not faithfully with truth if for fear or hope or worldly respects he will either be shie to own it as Nicodemus Christ or if he will suppresse it baulk and decline it if he will detain the truths of God in unrighteousnesse or if he will deny a truth conscience is up in arms against him and flees in his face for it checks him reproves torments him So it may be with an errour if a man have received and entertained an errour and he is perswaded it is a truth though it be an errour if now he have not been faithfull to it if he have for fear favour carnall and worldly respects been either shie to own it in some company if he have baulked it and declined it if he have betrayed it receded from it and denied it conscience is presently up to check to reprove him and torment him for it Indeed a man may close with an errour for base ends and respects and for the same respects may recede from it and yet never be touched for it no checks within him but if a man have closed with an errour with an honest simple heart then if he doe not walk answerable to it if he baulk and decline it he shall hear of conscience If a Papist should be forced from his Religion for fear though his way be an errour yet not forsaking it out of light and conviction that it was an errour but out of fear of punishment his conscience will torment him for it and so in any other opinion if the heart embrace it with honest respects which hath caused some to say that men are neither to be bribed nor threatned out of their opinions but to be convinced and perswaded they are not to be compelled by force nor yet to be seduced allured or bribed by rewards this is to make men sinne against conscience It was Augustines but he retracted it * Fides non est imponenda sed suadenda contra haereticos nihil vi agendum No force is to be used against Heretikes which we shall speak to in the next great Querie Thus you see as errour will
consonant to Gods minde or the main end of God in Scripture though there be not a particular place for it yet doubtlesse it is a truth there are many precious truths which yet would puzzle to finde a particular place upon which they may be fully established which yet agree with the generall drift and main end of God in the Scripture The great end of God in Scripture is to bring us out of our selves and to bring us up to him to render all the world emptinesse and discover fullnesse alone in himself to bring us to believe and close with Christ and give up our selves to him in waies of love and obedience and what ever doctrine doth truly serve for these ends what ever drives on this design is undoubtedly a truth though it be not contain'd in expresse words in Scripture And so much shall serve for the first Character by which many errours are struck down we come now to the second And Chara. 2 2. The second Character of truth is this That which doth really and truly advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God All truth as I told you was divine Revelation and it is the end of all divine revelation to advance and set up God in Christ it is the great design the great end which God doth aim at in all his Word-revelation to set up himself to advance the riches of his grace in Jesus Christ And therefore that which doth really and truely advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God For our better and clearer conception we must take this Character in pieces and shew you how it contains four conditions or there are four qualifications requisite to evidence any doctrine to be a truth of Christ 1. It must advance God 2. All God 3. All God in Christ. 4. It must doe all this really 1. Divine truth it doth advance God it sets up God and layes man low it raiseth up God upon the ruines of self and sin it makes God great and man little God all and man nothing it empties man of himself and makes him seek his fullnesse in God and that which doth thus hath a good evidence it is a truth of God Errour may advance the creature it may advance a mans self but it doth not advance God nay errour may seek God in the creature but it cannot seek it self in God it may give to the creature that which is Gods but not give to God that which is the creatures it may take from God to give to the creature but it doth not take from the creature to give to God And errour may lessen it self to make the creature great but it cannot make it self nothing to make God great you see this in Colos 2.18 Some in a voluntary humility did worship Angels here man lessens himself to make a creature great but he doth not make himself nothing to make God great Here he takes from himself and from God to give to a creature but he doth not take from the creature from himself to give unto God This is a genuine property of truth it advanceth God it makes God all and it self nothing it empties it self of it's self and seeks alone it's fulnesse in God that can be no truth that draws not up the heart to God and brings the soul to live in him as it 's utmost happinesse and that which doth thus must needs make all things little and God great and be content to lose it self in God and for God that it may finde it self in God Now if you should examine some opinions by this 1. There is an opinion that man hath ability to close with the tenders and offers of grace he hath power in his pure naturals to come over to Christ This opinion advanceth man but doth not advance God it sets up the will of man against the will of God it is an opinion against Word-revelation we are said to be dead in sin and dead men cannot move Christ tels us Without him we can doe nothing Joh. 15.5 2. Divine truth it advanceth all God 1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God 2. It doth advance the will of God 3. It doth advance the waies of God 1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God 1. The Wisdome of God 2. The Mercy 3. The Justice 4. The Power 5. The Immutability of God 6. The Holinesse of God There are some opinions which may seem to advance some of God but not all of God Some that may seem to advance his mercy but not his justice some his grace but not his holinesse some his power and his wisdome but not his truth that opinion which doth not advance the justice as well as mercy the holinesse as well as the grace of God certainly it is no truth of God God hath set himself to be wholly advanced in all his attributes and you doe not advance any of God if you doe not advance all of God To instance for illustration in a few particulars 1. Therâ— is an opinion that Christ came to save all here is an oâ—â—nion that doth advance the mercy but not the truth of God You know the Word tells us that he came to save them who shall believe in him now certainly if he came to save all then all believe but the Apostle tells us that all men have not faith therefore surely the death of Christ is no further to be extended then his prayer and his prayer is not for all as you may see Joh. 17.9 Joh. 17.9 I pray not for the world but for them thou hast given me 2. So secondly there is an opinion that Christ merited no love or mercy at his Fathers hands for us God loved us from everlasting and say they How can Christ be said to merit that which we had already Now would you know whether this is a truth or an errour You may examine it by this see doth it advance all God indeed this doth advance the love the mercy of God but not the justice of God it is indeed a wrong to his justice for Gods justice is no way advanced unlesse there be satisfaction made to it all the mercy that God bestows on sinfull men it is in relation to his precedent satisfaction Eph. 4.13 hence Christ is said to bear sinne to satisfie for sin c. and God for Christs sake is said to pardon sinne Ephes 4.32 3. There is an opinion that the Saints may fall from grace and they say this opinion doth much advance Gods justice but how that can be I cannot discern when I see it so evidently contrary to his truth to his promise and covenant he hath made with us as you see Jer. 32.40 certainly though the life of a Christian be a secret life it is hid yet it is a safe life it is hid in Christ Besides these there are many opinions which would seem to advance the grace of Christ and the mercy of
from being a truth which doth not all that is no good cordiall which is not physick and food too here There is nothing doth comfort but it doth nourish and purge the heart also Free grace is the best cordiall to a poor soul and is not to be given to faintings in comfort as men give strong-water to men in a swoon but it is to be given to faintings in duty many have been afraid to preach the doctrine of free grace and many afraid to hear it they think it is only to be used as a cordiall to poor fainting dejected souls But it is not only a Cordiall but it is the best physick too nothing more serviceable to the purging of our hearts 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore such precious promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit Nay and it is the best food you can feed upon to strengthen and enable you to all duty and obedience It is not onely serviceable to faintings in comfort but faintings in duty Indeed that hath been no good help to your comfort that hath not been serviceable to your obedience also if it have relieved thy faith it hath relieved thy obedience if it have been serviceable to the work of grace in the heart it hath been helpfull to the work of obedience in thy life otherwise thou may well suspect that comfort 4. Truth doth all this really It doth really I say advance the work of grace both in heart and life it doth it not apparently onely but really not in shew onely but in truth Some opinions there are which seem to doe it but doe it not really they seem as if they would hold up grace when they are destructive to grace they cry up grace without them but never minde grace within them they are all for comfort nothing for duty all for cordials but they neglect food Certainly you may suspect that from being a truth which is not as really subservient to the work of God without you as to the work of God within you and to your duties as to your comforts Those are no right conceptione of grace which beget not awe as well as love fear as well as faith and serves obedience as well as comfort Thus having spoken a little to this Character asunder I shall now speak to it entire Truth doth really advance the whole work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints As there is a great agreement between errour and sin not only as they are both children of the same Father but as one is serviceable and helpfull to the other Sinne in the affection hath much dependance upon errour in the understanding and a corrupt head is greatly serviceable to a corrupt heart There is such an agreement between errour and sinne that wee may safely say what ever doth tend to the advancement of sinne to the fuelling of corruption what ever affords subsidies succours contributions encouragement and strength to sinne that is doubtlesse an errour So there is a great agreement between grace and truth they have also both one Father even the Father of light and they are both serviceable one to another Truth is serviceable to grace as errour is to sinne and we may as safely say what ever it is that serves to advance the work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints that is certainly a truth of God As we say of false comforts that they will never inable to Gods services So we may say of false notions they will never work Gods motions in us As that cannot be truth which is naturally serviceable to sin so that cannot be errour which is naturally serviceable unto holinesse Indeed the best comforts and so the most precious truths of God may be made serviceable to the advancement of sin but yet they doe not this naturally and directly but occasionally and by accident It is one thing what a truth may doe by accident or occasionally another what it doth naturally and truly The advancement of sinne is not the work of truth but it is the fruit of our own corrupt and sinfull hearts which Spider-like doe suck poyson and venome out of the choisest sweet even the best of truth and the best of comforts in which regard we say truths are more infallibly known by their revelation then by their operations but yet there may be enough in the operations of opinions to discover them truth or errour to a mans self though not to others All truth it works like it self it is holy and it works holily it is pure and it works purely it is spirituall and it works spiritually it came down from the Father of light and it carries the soul to the place whence it came In which regard we may say that the operations and workings of opinions being received and entertain'd into the heart may be good characteristicons of the truth or falshood of them if not to others to whom the workings are not so obvious yet to a mans self to whom they are apparent if we will not wilfully shut our eyes and obscure what is evident And that it may be more evident to all I will here lay down 5 or 6. speciall operations that truth hath upon the soul where it is entertain'd by which you may be able to evidence whether the opinions you have entertain'd be truth or errour 1. The first and great operation which truth hath upon the Oper. 1 soul where it is faithfully entertain'd it is this it humbles the soul Truth where it comes it hath a soul-humbling power discoveries doe humble men truth is a discovery from God to the soul it is a beam of light darted from the Father of light who if he doe but dart one beam of himself into the heart it humbles the soul and laies it in the dust before him the nearer you come to God and God to you the more you see the distance between God and you and hence it is that the greatest soul-abasements doe ever follow the greatest God and Christ-manifestations You see this plain in those three famous examples of Job of Isaiah of Agur I have heard of thee saith one of them by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my self in dust and ashes Job 42.5 6. Another cries out Wee is me for I am a man undone because I am a man of unclean lips for I have seen the Lord of hosts Isa 6.5 A third hee cries out Surely I am more brutish then any man I have not the understanding of a man Prov. 30.1 2. who was yet a man of choice high and excellent revelations but he saw God and looking upon himself in opposition to him hee was humbled hee was laid in the dust before him And this is a naturall and genuine property of truth rightly entertain'd it humbles it empties a man it makes man nothing and God all None are more humble more sweet then those who are the children of the truth
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
were to joyne in execution of the sentence and willing râ—jection and casting him out Many others might be named but I shall wave them and come to the second 2. As you compare like places with like so unlike places with unlike viz. 6. Ioh. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink this blood you have no life in you whence the Papists gather a corporall feeding now compare this with the sixth Commandment Thou shalt not kill if it be such a fault to kill much more is it to eat and devour a man as Papists do conclude by their doctrine Hence Aug. saith those words ought to be interpreted figuratively otherwise they had required a horrible sinne of us 7 M. All our expositions should agree with the Analogy of faith which you reade of 12. Rom. 6. Prophesie according to the proportion of faith now the Analogy of faith is nothing else but the constant and perpetuall sentence of Scripture in the cleerest places of it of which sort are the Articles of faith the Lords Prayer the ten Commandements and what ever is repugnant to this is a false exposition now for instance that exposition this is my body by which Papists interpret this bred is changed into my body the Lutherans they say the body of Christ is under this bread both these are false they differ from the Analogy of faith 1. That tells us Christ had a body like ours and such a body as cannot lye under the accidents of bread or be together with it 2. The Analogy of faith saith Christ is in Heaven therefore not in a box with them 3. Consul Whitak Cont. 1. q. 5 c. 9. It saith Christ shall not come from Heaven till judgement therefore not from the box nor can the words of the Priest who stiles himself Creator creatoris sui make him So the Papists say we are justified by works this is also contrary to the Analogy of faith because in the Lords Prayer we begg for pardon which shewes remission an act of grace not debt 8 M. Because we are weak not able to use these means therefore we ought to make use of the best helpes reading hearing meditating conferring together with the comments and expositions of the best and most orthodox Sed videÌ„dum interim ne nimium illis tribuamus néve putemus illorum interpretationes recipiendas esse quia sunt ab illis profectae Whitak ibid. Esek 43.10.11 But in this take heed of tying your faith to men give not too much be content to take in the light of others but doe not shut your own eyes and give up your selves wholly to be guided by them And if you use these meanes impartially plainely without prejudice you shall be inabled to finde out the minde of God so farre as concernes your everlasting peace And that is the first direction 2. Di. Get an humble heart God hath said he reveales his secrets to the humble the humble shall know his wayes God will breake his minde to the broken in heart that is the way to finde out any truth in generall and this or that particular truth in controversy you see this in the 43. Ezek. 10 11. Shew unto the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and then shew them the paterne And God grant we may be an humbled people certainely it is the way to finde out the truth of God in these times of errour 3. Di. Labour to be renewed in the spirit of your minde That is another direction An unrenewed man shall never know the minde of God God will not reveale his will to those who will doe their own This is that the Apostle layes down as a preparation before he did reveale some points to them Rom. 12.2 Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to the world but be ye renewed in the spirit of your minde that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God where you see the Apostle layes down this as a necessary antecedent before we can know viz. the change of the heart and the renovation of the minde 4. Get a heart prepared for the entertainment of the truth of God upon any termes A heart that may value more of one truth of God then a world a heart that esteems truth honour truth riches truth friends truth to be all A heart that cannot deny it selfe in these things for truth or a heart byassed and drawne aside by carnall respects c. will never finde out any truth of God Sinne in the affection causeth darknes in the understanding a corrupt heart will breed a corrupt head c. sinne in the affection breeds errour and darknes in the understanding Truth is simple and none but a simple heart is fit to close with it doublenes of spirit will never close with singlenes of truth c. 5. Enquire diligently search to finde out Gods minde in this When men will take paines in searching God will shew mercy in revealing Then shall you know if you follow on to know the Lord saith the prophet Hose 6.3 Hos 6.3 Most men walke in the way of their fathers and never enquire whether it be according to God yea or no. And some men with Pilate they will slightly enquire what is truth but will not take pains to finde it And some there are who with the young man in the Gospel when they heare it they will turne their backs on it either it will not stand with their profits or pleasures and such shall never be professours of truth 6. Walke answerable to those manifestations you have walke in conformity to that measure you have received As it was with talents so here Talents not improved instead of increasing them they were taken away he that will not doe what he knowes shall not in time know what to doe If then God reveale any point of his minde to you in any thing beware lest either carnall feare or carnall respects doe cause you to smother the notions of God or detayne the truth of God in unrighteousnes Let your practice come up to your light let your walking be as large as your knowing And when God sees us faithfull in a little then will he reveale more to us when he sees you walke up to the light which he hath made known then will he reveale his whole minde to you David was a man that God would reveale his will unto and he was a man ready to doe all the will of God Act. 14. And you have a plaine Scripture for this Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect that is upright be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you neverthelesse whereto we have attained let us walke by the same rule let us minde the same thing And so much shall serve for the fifth great Quaery I have stood long upon it because it is of such main concernment I
hath power and it is his duty to suppresse and punish heresie and errour lesse or more according to the nature and degree of the errour and the evil or disturbance brought upon the Churches or State And in this order he may proceed when some dangerous opinions doe arise 1. He may call a Synod or an Assembly of godly holy learned men to examine those opinions 2. After examination the opinions being evidenced to be dangerous and erroneous he may prohibit them 3. He may also make laws Serviant Reges terrae Christâ— etiaâ— legeâ— ferendo pro Christo Aug. Par. Rom. 13. prop 4. Cod. l. 1. Tit. â— 7 Socrat l. 5. c. 7. and penall Statutes against such opinionists 4 He may also put those laws in execution when other means will not reclaim them And thus the Princes and Emperours did in former times if those examples of Constantine Theodosius Valentinian Justinian c. be of any weight which I confesse will be but of little if the word will not allow it And therefore we will come to the third Question which is Quest 3. Whether this power which is asserted in the former Question be a power which is warranted and ordained of God And this is needfull to be cleared it is the main of all for if it cannot be evidenced that the Magistrate is endued with such a power it will then follow that he is an usurper and brings guilt upon his own soul in the exercise of it 1. First then it is clear de facto that Magistrates have exercised such a power as appears in the examples of Asa Josiah and others as is evident from 1 King 18 40. 2 Chron. 15.13 1 King 15.13 2 King 23 20. 2 King 10 11 24. All which places doe evidence that pious Kings and Magistrates have exercised such a power There is not any scruple of that All the Question will be whether they did exercise this power de jure by vertue of any divine precept or upon Gods ordination To which I say Secondly That these Magistrates did exercise this power upon Gods warrant and by vertue of his ordination is evident by Deut. 13.5 6 7 8 9 10. where you read of a law enjoyned for the stoning and killing those who secretly attempted to entice the people of God to go after other gods You have another Exod. 22.20 He that sacrifieth to any god save only the Lord only he shall be utterly destroyed You have another in Levit. 24.16 He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death Another Deut. 17.2 3 4 5. Object But it will be said We read this in the old Testament but where have we any precept or president for it in the New Answ 1. We read that this was commanded and practised under the old Testament And we doe not read that ever that command was repealed or this practice prohibited and forbidden in the New 2. If those precepts and presidents in this point do not concern us then it must be shewed that those rules and paterns which we read under the old Testament were not intended by the holy Ghost to binde us 3. The very same thing was prophesied of the times of the Gospel now under the new Tâ—stament Zech. 13.3 It shall come to passe that he that takes upon him to prophesie that his father and mother that begat him shâ—ll say unto him Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord and his father and his mother which begat him shall thrust him thorow when he prophesieth that is they shall be the means to procure punishment to be inflicted on him So shall their hearts be overcome with the love of God and truth under the Gospel and set against lyes and falshood that they shall not indulge and spare it in their dearest relations So Isa 49.23 Revel 21.24 4. This power was juris naturalis it was of common and naturall equity and such things being constant and immutable are to be exercised at all times in all places Besides 5. This power was established and exercised upon moral grounds and for moral ends as you may see in Deut. 13.5 11. In the 5th verse you see the ground of the establishing of this power Because they would turn the heart of the people from the Lord and this was moral And in the 11th verse you see the end wherefore it was to be exercised That all Israel might hear and fear and do no more such wickednesse which was moral also Now I say that power the ground and end whereof is moral and perpetuall even that power must needs be moral and perpetuall but the ground and end of this civil coercive power is moral and perpetuall as I have shewed you therefore is the power perpetuall This cannot be denied certainly if the reason if the ground and end wherefore God ordained this power be still in force then is the power also still in force but the reason the ground and end wherefore God established this power and for which he would have it exercised is still in force viz. To prevent seduction and drawing the hearts of people from God and to make men afraid of publishing promoting and entertaiâ—ing such destructive opinions And therefore the power is still in force 6. All men are to improve their talents and lay out their utmost power and abilities for the service of God and the advancement of his truth and glory c. And the power of the Magistrate being such a talent put into his hands of the use of which he is to give account Certainly he is bound to lay it forth for the advancement of God now under the new Testament as well as under the Old If there be any difference undoubtedly it is in this that seeing the Magistrate hath received greater favours of God now under the new Testament then wâ—re dispenced under the old he lies under greater obligations and ingagements by all his power and authority to serve God and advance his truth and Gospel then those under the old 7. But seeing places are desired out of the new Testament to prove that God hath enabled the Magistrate now under the Gospel with such a power we will therefore see what strength the new Testament will afford us for the proof of it And first let us examine that Ro. 13.4 If thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Where the Apostle doth not speak of Magistracie in the use or rather abuse of it but as it is in Gods ordination And 1. He calls him the Minister of God by which be declares he is not to judge for man but for God and not only to look to the things which belong to man but to those things also which appertain to God 2. The object of this power he makes evil doers without any limitation
the History of truth the historicall knowledge of things but the godly have the mysterie the mysticall conceptions of them To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Others have the bark and outward rine of truth Illi corticem pij medullam veritatis 1 Cor. 2. ult but the Saints have the marrow and spirit of it We have the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult Unregenerate men may have the out-side but there are secrets in truth in every truth which they know not The Apostle speaks plain The carnall man is not able to understand the things of the Spirit of God and upon this ground because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Cor. 2.14 he may discern of them as a man but not as a Christian he may discern of them rationally but not spiritually As there is need of a naturall eye and light to see naturall things and of a rationall understanding to conceive of rationall things So there is need of a spirituall eye and light to discern of spirituall things there is as much disproportion between spirituall and rationall things and a spirituall and rationall eye as there is between an animal or sensitive eye and a rationall eye the rationall perception of things is not so farre above sensitive as the spirituall is above the rationall perception of things I say man is not so much above a beast as a Christian above a man there is something of animality of the beast in man but there is nothing of a Christian faith and spirituall understanding of things in him faith is as much above reason as reason is above meer sense Which might have been a 3d restriction that unrenewed men or men of corrupt life they may be of right judgement for a time in many things but as men not as Christians by the light of reason not the demonstration of the spirit And therefore you see though it be a probable signe of errour when the entertainers of it are men of loose and corrupt lives yet it is not an infallible evidence for even such men may for a time be right in judgement in main things The Raven might bring good meat to Elijah though she her self was an unclean bird the bird was unclean but the meat it brought was good indeed it was but once we never read of a second time that either the Raven brought it or Elijah received it and it was when he was in the wildernesse too when we are in the wildernesse and straits we may receive bread from a Raven God may make use of a Raven to bring bread but we are to expect and receive our daily bread from better hands Indeed it 's true Non quis sed quid affertur Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 Isa 8.20 we are not to look so much upon him that brings it as the meat that is brought we are not so much to look upon persons as doctrines we should rather judge of truth and errour by Rule and Scriptures then by life and practice thither God sends us Isai 8.20 To the law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this truth it is because the light is not in them Men of corrupt life may deliver to you many excellent truths either out of evidence of reason convictions of conscience or for mercinary ends or for applause and ostentation the Apostle told us of some that preached Christ out of envie Phil. 1.15 Phil. 1.15 Certainly there is an errour of both hands we may have mens persons in too much admiration as the Apostle speaks Jude vers 16. Jude v. 16. You esteem too much of men when you will drinke in and receive an opinion because such bring it and you esteem too little of God and truth when you reject the minde of God because such reveal it it was the speech of Christ concerning the Pharisees Mat. 23.2 3. Mat. 23.2 3. They sit in Moses chair all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe but doe not after their works That which Christ spake concerning the Pharisees I conceive to be restrained to those times and to that subject of the Law 1. It was to be restrained to that subject of the Law they were the Interpreters and preachers of the Law Christ would have the people hear thē of it certainly he would not have them hear them upon other subjects if they had preached that Jesus was not the Christ that he was not the Messiah they were to expect a Messiah to come in visible royalty and glory to deliver them from their enemies as they understood that 110. Psalm and other places but as for Christ they knew who he was Is not Joseph his father and Mary his mother say they Joh. 6.41 and is not he the Carpenter No question this was the doctrine they preached and therefore Christ restrain'd them to the subject hear them while they preach the Law 2. Yea and it was to be restrained to the time too as yet the Mosaicall Law was not repealed those rites and Ceremonies were not yet abrogated and therefore as yet they might hear them and walk in the practice of those things but afterwards it would not be suffered they who preached this doctrine were called false teachers and the Apostle cals such deceivers seducers false teachers who preached observance of those things and told the people they were bound to be circumcised and to keep the whole Law of Moses This is certain * Veritas à quocunque dicatur à spiritu sancto est Au. truth by whomsoever spoken is of the holy Ghost We believe truth though the devil speak it but we doe not believe it because he speaks it nor doe we goe to him for the Revelation of it It was a truth which he said I know thee who thou art thou art Christ the Sonne of God but we doe not believe it because he said it but because God revealed it nor yet do we doubt of it because he published it who yet is a lyar and might perhaps speak this truth that we might the rather suspect it because a lyar said it but though he spake it yet we doe not doubt it because God hath revealed it So corrupt men may speak the truth I doe not say they ought to be speakers of the truth men of sinfull lives and practices are not to be in that office as dispencers of the Word and Sacraments but take it as I mean it may for ability in office nor for right to office I say corrupt men may speak the truth but we doe not believe it because they say it but because God reveals it nor doe we doubt of it because they publish it seeing God hath declared it Indeed I would not goe to a lyar to know the truth nor should I reject truth though it come from a lyar So I doe not goe to men of sinfull lives to know