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
I have gathered you together c. but now these things are hid from thine eyes Oh hadst thou known the time of thy visitation And therefore take heed of this if God is comming in with any truth take heed of wilfull shutting of your eyes either out of pride corrupt affection love of sinne love of the world feare of men this is the way to be given up to errour 2. When a man doth entertaine the truth of God partially I say partially 1. In respect of the object not all truth It may be they will embrace such as may make for them but not such as may make against them such as whereby they may keep their lusts their sinnes too but not such as may disturbe them or are inconsistent with their sinnes 2. Or partially in respect of the subject our selves when we entertaine it into our heads not our hearts the notion of it but not the love of it when we doe not close with it in our hearts and affections This you see in the 2 Thess 2.10 11. where there is the same sinne and the same punishment because they received not the truth with love of the truth for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie What is that receiving of the truth with love of it but receiving it wholy in respect of the subject into the understanding will affection and the receiving of all truth in respect of the object Men that love truth as truth doe love all truth every truth is welcome A man that loves truth for other ends he will only entertaine so much of truth as may stand with those ends he will not dash his own designe in peeces When a man doth entertain truth for ends will he entertaine such truths as are destructive to those ends A man that loves the Law or a man that loves Divinity he will for it selfe entertaine it in the largenesse of it but now he that only loves these things for ends will take in so much as may be serviceable to him in his practise as a Lawyer but he cares for no more for he aimes at profit not excellency in knowledge Now this is another sinne that God doth punish with errour partiall receiving of truth 3. Entertaining of truth deceitfully you shall see many who will give entertainment to truth but upon what grounds It is with corrupt principles upon corrupt grounds and for corrupt ends and such men entertaine truth deceitfully and shall not hold it long 4. Unanswerable walking to those truths which God hath revealed You give your servants a candle to doe their work by if they will play you put out the candle let them play in the dark you will not be at cost to find them candle to play by God gave the light for this end that you might know how to walke and if you will not walk by your light God will put it out if you will doe works of darknesse you must be in darknesse It is one reason that God doth withdraw the light he hath given nay and suffer men to be given up to wayes of errour because they walke not answerable to the truth received You see this Rom. 1.21 24 25. 5. When a man growes weary of that light he hath when God hath made knowne something to a man and because it will not suffer him to sinne quietly he growes weary of it or it will not stand with his ends and designes You see this Rom. 1.28 Because they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge therefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind c. So when you are weary of your light weary of Religion profession it is too exact precise too troublesome too laborious too costly because you like not to retaine God and the wayes of God therefore God gives you up to wayes of errour These sinnes doth God often punish with errour and I say more unreclaimednesse under any sin what ever will bring in errour Object But doth God punish one sinne with another Answ As God doth make one evill the cure of another to the godly so he suffers one sinne to be the punishment of another to wicked men As you see plaine Rom. 1.24 27. 2 Thess 2.10 11. So in Psal 81.12 13. My people would not obey here was their sinne Therefore I gave them up to their own hearts lusts there was their punishment yea and sinne too And woe be to that man to whom God makes one sinne the punishment of another It is not so much to make sicknesses losses death prison c. punishment of sinne as to make one sinne the punishment of another It is better to have any judgement the punishment of sinne then to have one sin the punishment of another then to have sinne punished by it selfe And is it not so with you your ignorance is a sin and is it not the punishment of neglect of meanes contempt of meanes the sleighting of it This is a still punishment but God keepe us from it better any evill then sinne to be our punishment 2. A second judiciall end which God hath to wicked men and it is a sad one too viz. for the further hardening of their hearts There are many long disputes of Divines against the Papists concerning hardening of the heart whether or no God doe harden the Papists charge us in this point that we make God the authour of sinne in saying that God doth harden any though there be many Scriptures that speake plaine God is said to blind to harden c. as you see Exod. 9.12 Exod. 4.21 Ezech. 14.9 Rom. 9.19 He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he heardeneth And God may be said to harden the heart divers wayes 1. Abstrahendo by abstracting of his grace take away the light and darknesse must needs follow take away the Sunne and night must needs ensue So take away softning grace and man must needs be hardned Joh. 12.39 40. Non malum chirudendo sed gratiam non concedendo Aug. Therfore they could not beleeve because Isaiah said he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heale them 2. Proponendo which is objectivè by propounding objects by which a mans heart shall be hardened which may be the Word and Sacraments as you have it Isa 6.9 10. And oh what a woefull condition when that which should soften doth harden Jer. 6.21 Behold I will lay stumbling blocks before this people and they shall fall upon them Christ himselfe is an object to harden he is set up for the rise and fall of many c. and the word is said to be a savour of life and a savour of death 3. Tradendo by delivering a man up to the Devill to be blinded and hardened 2 Cor. 4.4 Whom the God of this world hath blinded 4. Permittendo by suffering a man to
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
heads but not into their hearts into their understandings and not into their affections will now certainly in this time of temptation foregoe the truth even truths professed truths preached truths contended for formerly The head is no safe casket to hide and lay up truth in it is easily stolen away if lodged in no safer a place But now if you have entertained it with love you will maintaine it too you may as well take away their hearts as take away their truth it is lodged there nay this love hath changed the heart into the nature of it truth doth so where it is received with love And hence it is that Gods people they have a rising of heart against errour when they want an argument against it and they have a love to truth when they cannot maintaine and dispute it As you see the Martyrs in Q Maries dayes they could say they could burne for Christ though they could not dispute they were notable to maintaine the truth with their heads but they could with their lives they could not give them reasons against their errours but they could lay down their blouds As a godly man said once he would desire no other confutation of Arminius but the work of regeneration 〈◊〉 any holy heart there was in every disposition of a gratious heart a reall confutation of all his tenents 3. God would hereby sift your Zealâ— whether or no you will contend for the truth as you have it exprest it Jude 3. Eâ—arnestly contend for the faith which was onâ—â— delivered to the Saints God will now try whether you will contend for the truth Rev. 1.3 or whether you will beare with them that are evill Thus God tried the Church of Pergamus Rev. 2.14 15. and he blames them for their lukewarmenesse that they had no more zeale to oppose those errours which were vented in their times Gods people though they be little when they be to deale with God dust and ashes as deale for God and they will not brooke with errour You see the hot contention between Paul and Barnabas Paul and Peter what zeale and affection Paul did shew for God and all was because they did not walk according to truth as you reade Gal. 2.10 11 12 13 14. As Moses would not yeeld to Pharaoh not in a hoofe the Orthodoxall Christians to the Arrians not in * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a letter an Iota a title nor Paul to the Jewes no not for an houre so the soule who is zealous for God he cannot brooke with errour nor can he yeeld to any thing contrary to the truth of God 4. The fourth grace God would sift is our Stabisity whether or no we are bottom'd and grounded in the truth whether we have that full assurance of understanding Col. â— 2 whether we are established in the truth or whether so unfixed and unstable that we are carried away with every wind of doctrine of such the Apostle speakes of Ephes 4.14 Many Christians that are as 't was said of Râ—uben Gen. 9.4 as unstable as water that are found according to the vessell which doth containe them poore Christians that are up and downe not only weake in knowledge but they are fickle in their understanding like soft wax now receive this impression this stamp but are ready to receive another when ever it is impressed And this doth arise not only from weakenesse of the understanding but want of firmenesse of understanding from inconstancy of spirit Now opinions will try your stedfastnesse see how you are setled how you are bottom'd when a streame comes you know it takes away what ever lies loose upon the banks but those things which are setled trees and such things that are rooted it cannot stirre men that are not rooted in the truth are in danger to be carried away with errours they are like loose things upon the banks but such as are rooted and grounded they abide nothing shall move them from their stedfastnesse But are all those that abide rooted Object No. There are many who are rooted in sin and errour Answ that are not moved men may be fixed in errour as well as firme in the truth their fixednesse as the others unsetlednesse is their sin 5. The fifth grace God would fift and that is your Sincerity your grounds your ends upon what grounds you have entertained truth and for what ends Oh there are many in the world that doe adhere to truth upon easie grounds upon poore reasons low considerations Some that have entertained truth only by tradition they were borne in these places where Religion is established and therefore are of this Religion and if they had been borne in Turkie had they no better principle they would have been of that too Some that have entertained truth meâ—rely for gaine and doe adhere to truth as the Ivie to the tree not because it loves it but because it is nourished by it Others upon other grounds because their Fathers their friends were thus of this mind Others because such Learned men and great ones are of this mind they pâ—â—ne their fâ—â—le 〈◊〉 their sleeves the Jews but this argument which of the â—â—â—lers beleeve in him Others because of other grounds 〈◊〉 John said to the elect Lady whom I love for the truths sake They often love the truth so the Ladiâ—â— sake 〈…〉 other respects Now at such a time as this when errour have been a bread if there be any grounds upon which you have entertained truth but meere love to the truth you will never hold out If you have entertained it upon other grounds or doe close with it upon other ends then such as are sincere you will never hold to it God will try your ends what ends you have in adhering to truth if it hath been for the world it may be as much of the world shall be propounded to you in a way of errour and then you are gone He that will serve God for the world will serve the Devill for the world he that will for bye respects close with truth will for the same respects if they weigh down the other close with errour if they doe but outballance them if more weight be cast in he is gone He that serves God for a little will serve the Devill for more where he can mend his wages he will give his service Errours are great trials of our sincerity what our grounds and what our ends are if you have entertained truth meerely for corrupt grounds its possible you may mend your selves by entertaining of an errour and then you are gone And therefore to discover sincerity God permits errours in the Church as you see it 1 Cor. 11.19 I heare there are divisions among you and I beleeve it for there must be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest and as they try so they doe discover our sincerity to our selves to God to others by which meanes we are approved And this is the
travel over the births of many ages especially if former ages have been as pregnant as our present age is Besides the Apostle tells us Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in faith do not receive to doubtfull disputation and why so lest you should stagger him unsettle him trouble him and certainly if they are not to be received to doubtfull disputations they are not to go to them if it had been their duty to go it had been the others duty to receive them Indeed we are to search let not any prophane loose carelesse secure atheist think I give indulgence to his lazinesse and security Let not any think I go about to patronize or countenance their carelessenesse You are to search God is revealing glorious things in the world many precious truths come masked to you under the notion of errour and many errours may be handed to you and seem to borrow the name of truth we had need to search we had need to pray we had need of a discerning spirit Only this take the measure of your own strength and put not your selves to difficulties above your measure if you meet with difficulties in these knotty times be not too swift to conclude make not your conclusions before your premisses are framed A man may be too soone in an errour too long out of a truth but that man is in a truth too soon who embraceth it in his affections before it be made evident to his understanding who entertains it before he can in some measure maintain it who concludes before he hath cleared That cannot be good judgement that is passed before evidence is brought in Nor that can be no orderly receiving of truth before which there hath not gone discussion and search But I will proceed no further these are the foure things which I thought to premise before I came to the answer of the query 1. That no man can plead an unerring spirit an immunity from all kinde of error Consul misner de eccl p. 657 c. 2. That the best of men are subject to the worst of errours 3. That though they be subject to them of themselves yet are they secured from them by the grace of Christ 4. That the way Christ doth secure us is in the use of means We now come to the resolution of the Query viz. Who are in danger to be led awâ—y with errour Qu. Who those are that are in danger to be led away with errour 1. All such who have not retained the notions of God in a holy and pure heart A corrupt heart is neither a fit receptacle for the receiving nor fit house for the entertainment of truth A sinfull heart will not long be the house nor truth long a tenant there Indeed where truth comes and abides it comes not as the tenant but as the Landlord the Master of the house that will dispose and order of all according to his own rules Now this no sinfull heart can brook withall he would take in truth to be his servant but not to be his Lord he would close with truth to serve him but not to serve truth he would live on truth but truth shall not live on him to speak plain he would entertaine truth no further then it will maintain him this is a corrupt heart and will not long be the receptacle of truth such a man is in the high way to be carried away with errour He that will not be Gods servant shall be the Devils slave he that will not be a servant to truth shall be a vassal to errour As we say he that will not be under the soveraignty of Christ shall be under the tyranny of sin he that will not be under the command of grace shall be under the power of lust so he that will not be subject to truth shall be enslaved to errour you have something of this expressed in Rom. 1.21 25 26. Rom. 1.21 25 26. Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God c. for this cause God gave them up to vile affections 2. All such who have not entertained the truth with love of it men that take it into their heads to know but not into their hearts to love Truth hath rather a tyranny then a soveraignty over some men it awes many whom it doth not perswade it convinceth their understandings but doth not convert and turne their hearts their heart is up in rebellion against all their light their affections are in armes against all their knowledge and their spirits are not brought into a peaceable subjection to those things revealed And such men truth will quickly be weary of them or they of truth where the heart doth not close with truths reveal'd but still stands up in armes against it this man is in danger to be given up to a way of errour You have this in 2 Thess 2 9 10. 2 Thess 2 9 10. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie and be damned It may be God hath revealed some truths to thee and thou hast entertained them into thy head in notion but not into thy heart with love and affection here is light without heat thou hast no heart to embrace those things revealed may be upon examination thoâ— findest they will not suite with thy greatnes with thy interesâ— with thy hopes thy aimes thy ends and therefore cannot cordially close with them thou cannot deny thy selfe and become a servant to truth Thou art the man who art in danger to be given up to a way of errour 3. All such who have not walked sutable to those truths which God hath revealed to them It may be thou hast had many precious truths revealed to thee and thy corruptions would not suffer thee to walke sutable to them there is light in thy head but darknesse in thy life truth in the understanding but errour and sin in practice and conversation let me tell thee thou art in danger to be given up to errour Men that will not doe what they know shall not know what to doe men that will not follow the guidance of truth shall be led aside with errour Sinne in practice will bring in errour in principle Men of a bad life cannot long be men of a good beliefe 2 Thess 2.12 2 Thess 2.12 the Apostle tels us of such who were carried away with the deceiveablensse of errour who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousnesse If you know Gods will and will not doe it if God have revealed his minde to you and yet you will not square your lives to it if you will walke in waies that are not good notwithstanding God hath revealed the evil of them you are the men are in danger to be given up to errour 4. All such who have embraced and adhered to former truths out of partiall respects private
9.5 You can have no communication of truth but there is a conveyance of life with it every notion will beget motion every beam of light will be a stream of life and carry you on with power to the obedience of truth revealed the same spirit which is the spirit of truth is the spirit of life and of power and where hee is a spirit communicating light and truth there he a spirit conveying life and power to the soul also To conclude this then you have entertain'd some opinions for truth but are they soul-quickning truths are they helpfull to the life of God and to the life of grace in you Tell me doe they dead you or doe they quicken you more and doe they quicken your graces or stirre up your corruptions Are they serviceable to grace or are they helpfull to sinne It is the nature of truth to quicken our graces but to dead our corruptions and this is the nature of errour to provoke our lusts but to dead our graces A fifth Operation of truth where it is entertain'd it hath a Opera 5 heart-inflaming power Truth is a beam of that Sun which doth not only enlighten but heat and warm us Claritas in intellectu parit arderem in affectu Light in the understanding begets heat in the heart the understanding is as the medium between the heart and Christ and serves as the burning-glasse to the heart whereby the heart is set on fire with those notions which are carried from Christ by the understanding to the soul hee that is baptized with the holy Ghost the spirit of truth is baptized with fire Fulget cherub intelligentia luce ardet Seraph charitatis igne Pic. Mirand de dig hom his affections are inflam'd with the love of it He that like the Cherub doth shine with light and truth like the Seraph burns with heat and love Truth hath an heart enamouring power could wee but see it in it's beauty as the Philosopher said of vertue I may of truth we could not chuse but be in love with it and that which doth enamour the heart must needs enflame the heart that which takes the heart must needs set the heart on fire either with desire to enjoy it or with love in the enjoyment of it Indeed it is true many are too hot in an errour and others are too cold in the truth and it is the ones sinne and the others shame the one is the fruit of the partiall reception of truth they take it into the head not into the heart Thâ—y receive not truth with the love of it as the Apostle saith 2 Thess 2. and the other is the fruit of the blinde entertainment of errour they have light without heat and thou hast heat without light their light is a false light because it is not joyn'd with heat and thy heat is a false heat because it is not joyn'd with light And yet I confesse many are zealous in a way of errour when the best are too cold in the truth it is our shame as their sinne But here is the comfort a little true heat is worth a great deal of false fire a little zeal acted with grace is worth a great deal spirited with corruption Men in ignorance are like those under the frigid zone they are cold and frozen and have no heats or affections in them Wee may love things we have not seen as the Apostle speaks of Christ 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen Ignoti nulla cupidâ— Invisa pos summa amare incognita ne quaquam yet you love but wee cannot love things wee have not known and men in errour are like men under the torrid zone who burn with a false heat but men in the truth they are like those who live under the temperate zone whose heat is comfortable and makes them fruitfull or if you will take it in another comparison men in ignorance they are like dead men altogther cold and have no heat in them Men in errour are like men in a fever whose heat is their distemper but men in the truth they are like unto men in health whose heat is their health and enables them to action and resisteth corruption And that is a fifth operation of truth where it is entertain'd it hath a heart-warming a heart-inflaming power We come to the last Oper. 6 Sixthly and lastly Truth hath a heart-raising and spiritualizing property where it comes into the heart with power it doth raise and spiritualize a man indeed the naked knowledge of truth doth no more raise the heart then the sight of the Sunne doth lift a man up to heaven but when truth comes into the heart in it's power it carries the soul thither whence it came All truth as it came from God so it carryes the soule to God it rayseth and spiritualizeth a man it doth spiritualize and rayse his understanding his notions and conceptions of things it doth spiritualize a mans heart a mans affections a mans actions it makes him a spirituall man 1 Cor. 2.15 Men are much according to their notions of things men of low conceptions are men of low spirits men of higher and more spirituall notions are men of finer tempers of more refined spirits so farre as truth is received so farre it doth refine a man if it enter the head a man is part refined but if it be received into the heart the whole man is spiritualized A mans head may be refined and yet he may have a grosse heart as Christ saith Make their hearts grosse that seeing they might not see they did see in the head and that was refined but they did not see in their heart and therefore that was still grosse but if the heart once be spiritualized with truth then the whole man is made spirituall for truth is of a spiritualizing nature And so much shall serve for the operations of truth and this third and last Character viz. Truth doth advance the whole worke of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints Well then you see there are many opinions abroad Vse and it may be some of you have given entertainment to some of them I doe not say that they are all of them erroneous but many are others have much errour mingled with some truth I have given you three touches whereby you may be able to judge of them three Characters whereby you may be inabled to discover truth from errour And doe you try your opinions by them see are they such as are word-revelation doth the word plainly and evidently hold them forth or are they deductions drawne from the word But see is not the place mistaken are the deductions rightly gathered are they consonant to the harmony of Scriptures doe they suite with Gods maine end in Scripture By these you may be able to discover them Again the opinions which are held forth or you have entertained doe they I say advance God doe they advance all God all the Attributes all
losse of a precious Consort a beloved companion a dear yoke-fellow a losse I say incomparable being one of whom the world was not worthy and a losse incompensible unlesse made up by Christ alone She was a branch of a noble stock but yet more nobly born then of flesh and blood being born from above and more happy in her second then she was eminent in her first birth it was my happinesse to have large and inward experience of her spirituall worth which indeed was obvious to all with whom she did converse and could be no more secreted then the light of the Sunne a jewel she was which after God had polished shewed to the world and made your adornment for a time he took unto himself where now she is one of those beautifull stones which adorns the new Jerusalem while she was upon the earth she breathed after or rather breathed heaven as if she had been but a piece of glory sojourning in grace and a spark of immortality fallen down to kindle our more earthly substance She lived in the world but as much above the world as we poore creatures live below heaven Christ was her onely element upon whom her soul in it's right actings did as naturally feed as do our bodies upon our daily bread being no more able to live without him then the body without the soul Her whole life was nothing else but a continued design drawn out for the advancement of Christ the spring of whose motions was the grace of Christ and the end of whose movings was the glory of Christ She was alwaies being spirited with life from above very active and indeed her body not being able to keep pace with her soul she often out-went the strength of her body yet towards the end of her daies as all naturall motions drawing nearer to their center she moved as if every motion should put her into her rest and as if by every step she would reach the Garland and apprehend the prize She was one who scarce had another no fellow but her fellow who indeed were a pair of such noble Sisters as England could hardly match in whose two bodies lived one soul and in whose two souls lived one Christ between whom if I would make any difference it should be such an one as Alexander made between his two friends the one was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Alexander the other was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of the King or else such an one as another makes between Peter and John the one was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Christ the other was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Jesus or if you will take it in this the one excelled in knowing and doing the other in doing and knowing the one in light and heat the other in heat and light In a word they were both of them the glory of their family the comfort of their Parent the crown of their Consorts the adornment of Religion the rejoycings of the godly the refreshment of the Saints and are now both entred into the possession of that which was their breathings in grace and is their satisfaction in glory And ô that their examples might ever live as paterns to those who doe yet supervive And now my Lord having breathed out my sad resentments of your losse give me leave to put into your hands these weak but willing labours designed to the service of these times and seeking your Patronage in them they flee to you for protection and yet I know no reason they should fear harm their great design is truth the message they bring is peace the language they speak is accommodation In which word me thinks I please my self though I see lesse and lesse hopes of seeing the thing accomplishd Some Essaies I have attempted to lay down in relation to such a happinesse which were they brotherly undertaken sweetly managed faithfully pursued might either procure our agreement or lessen our difference either make us one or not so much two I cast them down such as they are at your feet as one able to judge of things And when you take them up take up these thoughts with them that he that penned them is one who while he can speak will speak peace and while he hath a being will desire to be Your humble Servant in the service of Christ to be commanded S. BOLTON TO THE Christian Reader Christian Reader THe multitude of prevailing opinions at this time was the great ground and the preservation of my own people was the main end of the undertaking the following Discourse I had not in my first undertaking the work thought it would have been so large as now it is but it swell'd under my hand and I hope thou wilt esteem its bignesse to be its perfection not its disease It usually fares with works of this nature as with our Masters bread they multiply in the breaking The whole is digested into six Questions set down in the Title page from which Generals many other particular Queries are deduced discussed and resolved In the first part my great design hath been to fence from errour and to put a stop to the wantonnesse of mens spirits in the handing and receiving of opinions In the body of the Discourse I have laid down the Examens of opinions and the Characters of truth And in the close of the whole I kept this in my eye as the mark I aimed at to drive on a happy agreement among those who did conscientiously differ Wherein it is my hope if my extreme desire of a happie accommodation hath in thy thoughts carried me too farre I may obtain the excuse of my affection For it is not granted say some to love and to be wise I am not ignorant that essaies of this nature have often proved not only Abortive but the trouble of the Parent And therefore politick men as they will reserve themselves and not speak all their heart so they will not ingage themselves beyond their power of retreat if they shall after see reason for it You know whose speech it was That he would launce no farther into the Sea then he might safely return to shore again Thou wilt see in this Discourse I am not of that versatilis ingenij And indeed the greatnesse of the evil of division and the miserie that doth attend it with my vehement desire of a happie Accommodation of our differences not too dear to be bought out even with our blouds hath over-powred me to speak my whole heart and to lay out my whole strength without those politick reserves Though I would give all reverence to the results of other Churches yet would I set up none as Hercules Columns beyond which nothing more is to be known nor nothing more to be enquired We have the same Starre to sail by which others have and it shines as bright in our Horizon as in any part of the Christian world Nor can it be any scandall
errours and those dangerous errours also we should be in danger to receive all under the notion of truth to close with all and swallow all that comes under that pretext Where now by the aboundance of errours we are made more wary more watchfull If it be given out that there is a great deale of false Coyne of light gold abroad it will make men carefull of what they receive which if it were not so we should receive all that comes So here certainly God would by this permissive providence of his have us take heed as well what we heare as how we heare he would have us to take heed what we receive God seemes to speake he would have us to entertaine truth not traditionally but knowingly not because it is the mind of such and such men but because it is the mind of God not because discovered by such and such men but because revealed of God In our dayes in regard of the multitude of errours God seemes to speake to you to be more then ordinarily wary in the receiving of truth to receive it knowingly weightily humbly to receive it after sound debates not suddenly least you be deceived with an errour Let it passe through all debates before it be received under the notion of truth We have some things that are meerely divine and there is no debate to be in them if a toole come on this Altar it defiles it Some things which are mixtly divine and those admit of debate The Apostle tells us of two sorts of truths 1. Foundation truths 2. Building truths 1 Cor. 3.10 11 c. There are some truths that are to be entertained without debates of reason they are to be beleeved as soone as revealed faith is required to the entertainment of them As God in the Trinity of Persons and Vnity of Essence Christ in his Person hypostaticall Union of Natures the work of Creation the Resurrection a Rationes precedentes fidem minuunt fidem subsequentes augent here faith must goe before reason beleeve and know It is an unsound opinion b Vbi definit ratio incipit fides where reason ends faith must begin here reason must not begin at all reason pollutes its corrupt and will corrupt these these are supra above though not contra rationem against reason There are some truths againe and that is most of those which are in dispute and debate now adayes and they are not to be entertained without long debate dispute holy reasoning You are to use all your knowledge and Christian wisdome and all your skill in the word of God all your prayer and seeking A man may entertaine a truth as well as an errour too quickly that is when he entertaines it upon trust or without debate or because others say it or practise it or because at first view it seemes like a truth this is to entertaine it too quickly the Church of Ephesus is commended for her patience Rev. 2.2 And this may be one part of it one branch of her patience that she had tried them which said they are Apostles and found them liars and this was not done suddenly as the third verse implies So let this be your commendation that you have tried those opinions that carry the highest pretext that you have not been apt to beleeve every spirit but you have tried the spirits and the doctrines c. before you have owned them You would not take a man into your house that you knew not and will you entertaine any thing into your heart you would have tried servants such servants as are known such husbands and wives of whose goodnesse you have heard and will you let in a truth and not try it What ever you entertaine as truth you are to be subject to it and will you be subject to errour You are to maintaine truth to part with goods to endure friends to become enemies to part with liberty life for truth And shall I not try it shall I doe all this for an errour Indeed if you were to doe with truth as some others can that can take them up for their occasions and lay them down againe at pleasure that can embrace them and renounce them when they please then you did not need so much curiosity in search but when you are to entertaine truth as you doe your husbands and wives till death separate nay to take it not only till death but to all eternity this should make a man consider and not be too light of his beleefe and entertainment of truth Again if thou were to entertaine truth as a servant only that should only serve thy uses and be serviceable to thee as many doe with truth they aske what it can doe for them before they entertaine it if it were to be so entertained then there need no such great triall that truth that would be most serviceable to thy estate and advantage thee most in the world thou mightst embrace Religion were then nothing but a policie But being to entertaine it as thy King not to subject it to thee but thy selfe to it not to have it to moove according to thy mind but thou according to its motions this should make thee consider before we entertaine Againe if that we might entertaine a truth as we doe only our goods into our houses that would not endamage us any way though they bring in nothing yet they would not endamage us then the matter were not so much But when we are to entertaine truth as that which must live on us that for which I am to part with relations with comforts with riches with estate with liberty with life Beleeve it it would make a man in earnest and try throughly before he doe entertaine a thing for truth and to be sure that God saith it But adde to this your soule may depend on it and that to eternity and not only thine but thy posterities too how many families in this Kingdome that are Papists upon no other ground then their ancestors were and doth the soule of me my child husband wife c. depend much on me and shall not I be wary what I entertaine surely no honest heart but will Well this is another ground or end God suffers errours that we might entertaine opinions warily drop by drop is the best receiving of opinions We are commanded to buy the truth and surely the errours that are abroad tell us it is to be bought by retaile in parcels not by whole sale in the grosse for feare of receiving errour as well as truth there are many cheating chapmen abroad false lights I name none I aime at none in particular There are such who huosterize the word adulterate sophisticate the word And what 's that they mingle truth and errour linsey woolsey And if you take up all in the grosse you may be deceived therefore beware try before you trust examine search Take heed that no man deceive you And thus I have shewed you the first how
labour to unsettle us There is indeed a triall that is good and a triall that is bad to try those things that man hath said is good wee are not to beleeve every spirâ—â— but to try all things but to try those things which God hath said is bad those things which God hath said we are commanded to trust to beleeve and then try but those things which men have said we are commanded to try them before we trust them as you see 1 Joh. 3 1. Beleeve not every spirit In the other beleeve here beleeve not what then why you must prove all things try them by the word as the Bereans did But did not the Bereans try what the Apostles said Object and yet commended for it and what they said was infallible and therefore may we try what God hath said as well as what men have said 1. They tried what they said by what they had said Answ and so may we doe or they tried what they said by what was written they tried the word by the word to see how they agreed As Christ bids you search the Scriptures for they testifie of me So they tried what the Apostles said by what was written and such a triall there may be 2. Againe there is a two-fold triall 1. A suspitious triall a triall arising from jealousie and mistrust that the things we have received are unsound and that is bad if it be truth which hath been received 2. There is a confidentiall triall whereby a man is assured of the truth of those things he hath received and rather goes for confirmation in it then out of dubitation or doubt and questioning the things are not true The first triall is bad and that which the Devill aimes at in the multitude of opinions and errours to bring us to a questioning and jealousie and mistrust of those things we have received he would now labour to make us looke upon all Religion as a fancie as a meere notion and all the truths we have received as chimaeras meere notions without foundation he would bring us to entertaine all doubtfully that so we might worke deadly 3. A third end he hath if he cannot seduce us nor unsettle us A third end Satan hath then he labours to shake us though he cannot unsettle us in the beliefe of truth yet he labours to shake us in it you know it is the fruit of the many lying pamphlets abroad it makes men doubt of the very truth it selfe it shakes men in the very confidence and beliefe of those things which are true So the Devill he doth vent his errours and his untruths now that he might shake us in the beliefe of those things are true Object But how doth this shake us Answ 1. You know that all have not attained to the same measure of stedfastnesse all are not so rooted and grounded in truth all have not attained to the same measure of knowledge some are but weake and babes in knowledge though some that are men growne Now the variety of opinions and errours and disputes they are a perplexing a shaking of weake minds though at last they shall but roote firmer for this puts them on search triall prayer and so they shall be firmer yet this may shake them for the present Hence the Apostle Rom. 14.1 Him that is weake in faith receive ye but not unto doubtfull disputations Why so because this was enough to shake and unsettle and trouble a man weake in faith And surely that 's another end why Satan raiseth up doubtfull disputations and sets afoote errours viz. to shake the weake A fourth end which Satan hath 4. A fourth end Satan hath to the godly and that is to perplex them if he cannot seduce them nor unsettle them nor shake them yet if he can but perplex them and trouble them he 's content This is that which God said of him and it is the utmost of his chaine Thou shalt breake his head and he shall bruise thy heele though he cannot breake our head separate us from Christ yet he will bruise our heele though he cannot bring us out of the way of life seduce us from the wayes of truth yet he will doe all he can to perplex and trouble us in them If he cannot seduce us out of the way yet if he can hedge up our way with thornes if he can cast blocks in our way if he can disturbe us in our course which he labours to doe this way he is well content and can afford his labour And this hath been his great designe in all ages of the Church of God to raise up some impostors some notable seducers to perplex and to trouble the Church of God I might carry you down from the Apostles dayes till now you may have enough out of Ecclesiasticall histories how Satan hath still raised up some notable juglers who have troubled the Church of God In the Apostles times you reade of many and afterwards not of a few witnesse the Arrians Manichees Nestorians Pelagians and hundreds more in our dayes the Papists Arminians Socinians with multitudes more both of the right and the left hand by all which he labours to perplex the Church of God and trouble the hearts of the people of God he hath no comfort himselfe and he envies comfort where ever he sees it he hath no peace himselfe he hath all trouble and he is an enemy to peace in us his endeavour is to bruise our heel though in Christ we breake his head 5. A fifth end that Satan hath to the godly and that is A fifth end Satan hath to prejudice the entertainment of further truth Satan knowes full well that towards the end of the world there will be aboundance of truth revealed and made known the knowledge of the Lord shall be as the waters that cover the sea God hath spoken glorious things of the latter dayes every child shall be as David Zach. 12.8 The Sun of righteousnesse the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ it arose in its glory and brightnesse in the first dayes of the Apostles but it was not long before this sun was obnubulated clouded and darkened with the mists of errour and foggs of darknesse which Antichrist and corrupt men raised up which was fore-seen by the Apostle and in his time it began to work although the cloud like Elijahs cloud was no bigger then a mans hand yet the Apostle did then foresee it would span the Heavens and even darken the Sun and shadow the glorious light it selfe as he that hath but looked into the histories of former times may evidently perceive Now towards the end of all things God will scatter these clouds he will cleare the truth and the knowledge of the Lord shall be increased Dan. 12.4 And at this time Satan will vent his errours he will set on foote many dangerous errours to prejudice the hearts of the people of God in the receiving and entertaining of truths to be
2. Some are worldly and covetous 3. Some are profane and luxurious or voluptuous 1. In case a man be a proud and ambitious man it will suite with his temper and his ends to broach erronious opinions to make himselfe a Rabbi one greater in esteeme honour and applause then other men he would be taken notice of for one to see further then others one that hath greater light communicated to him then others have he is a man that desires to be singular and loves no greatnesse but what is gotten by making others little nor no esteeme but what is wrought out of the disesteeme of others he is a man that loves to inrich himselfe by making others poore and to swell himselfe and make himselfe some body by making others no body he cannot be taken notice of in the crowde and therefore he thinks himselfe best seen when he goes alone Of this spirit was Diotrephes who you reade of in Joh. Epist 3. Who because he could not be great enough subordinate to the Apostles for saith the text he loved the preeminence Therefore he endeavoured to blast the Apostles and make himselfe great by making them little among the people he laboured to work up his own esteeme by bringing them into disesteeme Joh. Epist 3. ver 9 10. Diotrephes who loveth to have the preeminence and prated against them with malicious words and not content therwith c. And therefore it is hard for a proud man to find out truth God saith the humble he will teach and Christ saith how can you beleeve when ye seeke honour one of another so how should you discerne of truth when you carry an eye to your own applause and glory and not the glory of God 2. In case a man be worldly and covetous it may stand with his ends too by this meanes to enrich himselfe and fetch maintenance out of the very heart and bowels of truth such men seeke their own not the things of Christ And this is the ground of many errours in the world if you looke into Popery you may râ—solve many of their tenets into this their covetous desires of gaine could they be so simple to hold ouâ— so many childish opinions viz. Purgatory Dirges Prayers for the dead Pennances Pilgrimages Pardons Indulgences c. but that these bring in aboundance of wealth into their coffers all is to be sold at Rome Romae omnia venalia they will sell Christ or any thing for gaine and you see men will pleade for errours they will maintaine these because these maintaine them by this craft saith Demetrius we have all our gaine See 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. where he speakes of such as make merchandise of mens soules 3. In case a man be profane and voluptuous It will stand with his ends to broach errours that he may more securely sin truth will not prevaile with him to leave his sin and therefore his sinne prevailes with him to leave the truth while he entertain'd the truth it would not suffer him to live quietly in his sins it would be ever checking and reproving of him he could not sin without disturbance and therefore he must either foregoe the truth or his sin but his sin he cannot part withall and he now takes up such an opinion as he may keepe his sin without disturbance he may sin without trouble I have heard of one that went on in a way of sin and would not be reclaimed though conscience held out to him that if he did persist in that way he was sure to perish But for all this he held up sin and therefore he could not long hold up truth it was impossible that these two should stand togther he loved sin and could not leave it and he saw the truth flew in his face which told him that he should perish if he sin'd thereupon he tooke up an opinion which was said to be Origens that after a 1000. yeares torment in hell all men shall be saved and now he sinned with more quiet Others that come to this that none shall be damned God never made his creature to damne his creature These with many others might be named all which are taken up that themselves might sin without check and disturbance And Christians take heed you have some truths some light of God and you walke in wayes of sin notwithstanding all that light If you sin against that light you will sin away that light if the truth will not move you to forsake your sin your sin will prevaile with you to forsake the truth If a man were able to enter into the heart of an old sinner an old worldling he should see what a pack of unsound tenents he hath gotten up what subterfugies and fig-leaves he hath sowed together what a body of base divinity he hath gotten up together and all this that he might sin securely and be secure in sin he that converses with them shall have experience of the truth of all this And as it may stand with the ends of the Contrivers and Actors so with the ends of the Abettors which I might insist upon at large but I choose rather to conclude this first great generall which was propounded viz. how it may stand with Gods ends with Satans with a mans own ends of which I have spoken in each particular for clearer and fuller satisfaction We will now come to the second generall thing propounded viz. The second question Q. 2. What may be the grounds of abounding errours now at the end of the world And indeed the question may well be asked for at the end of the world it is prophesied that there shall be many glorious truths discovered it is said of these times that the knowledge of God shall abound even as the waters that cover the sea And it is prophesied that truths sealed and before hid shall be then manifested and revealed there shall not only be a clearer discovery of things already revealed but a fuller discovery a revelation of those things were not known as in Dan. 12.4 Daniel had prophesied of the latter dayes and he is commanded to shut up the words and to seale the Booke even to the time of the end when many shall run too and fro and knowledge shall be increased And Zechariah tells us that he that is feeble shall be as David Zech 12.8 And to this purpose I have read some that apply that place Rev. 1.13 where Christ is described to walke among the golden Candlesticks Weemes and girt about the paps with a golden girdle In the old Testament they were girt about the middle saith my Authour here about the paps which shewes saith he the Church is growing up nearer and nearer to perfection And without controversie there are glorious things spoken of these latter dayes not only glorious things to be done for God hath reserved most of his visible glory to the end of the world but glorious things to be revealed and made known And
it that worked into her heart and then her heart consents But how farre Satan may deale with one without sin is a question he seduced her to looke seduced her in looking or by looking Satan gets into us but came to Christ and Eve in a bodâ—ly shape he could find no footing in them because there was nothing of his own there was no sin But to returne that is another ground of abounding errours the corruption of the heart A man may be carried away with an errour and yet not have a corrupt heart but errour must needs proceed from the corruption of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minimè malus innâ—cens Decipiunt animos innocentum I say he may be led away and yet not have a corrupt heart it may be he hath nothing but honest ends and honest grounds in the entertainment of it The Apostle tels us of such Rom. 16.18 by good words and faire speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple the word signifies errour of them not evill but though the hearts doe not argue a corrupt heart yet it discovers corruption in the heart and that 's the second ground 3. A third ground why there are so many abounding errours is mens readinesse to drink in every opinion to entertaine every thing that comes under the name of truth to them without triall and examination of it Men that have their hands open to take all may receive false coyne as well as true we say all is not gold that glisters so men that are ready to entertaine what is suggested to them under the name of truth may take in errour as well as truth It is good and our duty to have a preparednesse of spirit and a ready disposition of soule to entertaine every truth of God that is discovered to us But Satan doth abuse this good disposition oftentimes deluding us and turning errours on us with a shew and name of truth And there may be many grounds why those who have yet a preparednesse of spirit to entertaine truth and all truth and nothing but truth alone may be carried away with an errour 1. Want of triall we take in all and swallow all as they are represented to us without any debate or any search and examination of them It is an Apostolicall injunction that we should not beleeve every spirit and that we are to prove all things and then to hold fast to that is truth that is hold fast to that which upon triall upon examination is really a truth of God the want of which is the cause why those who have a preparednesse of heart to entertaine truth alone and would not for a world give entertainment to errour are yet led aside with errour I have told you a man may be too quick in rejecting of an errour as well as too slow in receiving of a truth that errour is too soone rejected that is rejected without triall without evidence that it is an errour You think it unreasonable that a man should be condemn'd before his triall though the man may deserve to die yet it is to be made evident otherwise we may condemne the innocent So though an opinion be erronious yet let it have its triall otherwise you may reject a truth for an errour Certainly as truth is not to be entertained and received sleightly so errour is not to be rejected carelessely before you know it errour the choicest truths of the Gospel have been rejected for errour and yet are blessed truths We are to reject errour as we receive truth not passionately but rationally not with passion but reason not carelessely but religiously because otherwise you may receive errour for truth and may reject truth for errour Now I say many for want of triall and examination of things may give entertainment to an errour though they have a preparednesse of spirit to embrace nothing but the truth 2. Another ground why those who have a preparednesse to entertaine truth may yet be carried away with errour is they want knowledge to try and prove and also want judgement to determine what is errour and what is truth upon their triall Some errours that are very obvious to be discerned but some are very subtile and intricate yea and carry very specious shewes hold out glorious pretences For the first sort of errours these Gods people are seldome intangled withall but now for the other which are more subtile and carry high pretexts these few have knowledge to try them or upon their triall judgement to determine The best of us we know but in part here and as for the most they are but children and babes in knowledge we are not children in humility in innocencie but we are like them in knowledge we know but little and therefore may be over-reached with the sophistry of Satan with the wiles of men 3. Besides this good disposition which is in the hearts of Saints to receive all truths that God shall discover it may be abused yea and which is a wonder be made serviceable to let in an errour that it is abused there is nothing more plaine Rom. 16.18 Satan comes and works on that corrupt men they come and work on that good principle too they aske you have you not a preparation of heart to receive every truth of God how dare you then reject this how dare you shut your eyes against such an evident light how dare you turne your back against such a cleare manifestation of God thus it is often abused Nay and sometimes this disposition is made serviceable for the introducing and letting in an errour This preparednesse of heart to receive all truth works a fearfullnesse of rejecting truth if it be discovered to us It may be there is such and such a thing held out to us and it is well managed strongly carried on insomuch that it carries great appearance of truth now the soule who is prepared to receive all truth and fearfull to reject it he stands hovering he knowes not what to doe he cannot close with it he dare not reject it but at last upon that appearance of truth it hath and that feare in him to reject truth he gives entertainment to it though it be an errour and not a truth Thus the feare of rejecting of a truth may be a help to bring in an errour It is wonderfull to see how Satan abuseth these two dispositions fear and tendernesse of spirit 1. Fear it should be a fence to preserve us from errour but Satan often makes it a means to keep out truth fear is oftentimes a cause to keep us in errour as well as a fence to preserve us from errour Many are afraid of new opinions not because they are errours but because they are new I say fear is a means in many to keep out truth as well as to fence out errour It should only be the guard of the soule to keep out errour but Satan makes use of it to keep out truth and to let in
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
liberty nay they are bound to examine and judge of the definitions and determinations of them They desire not that their authority shall be valid with you unlesse they bring the authority of God nor that you should hear them unlesse you hear God in them It is their work to propound to determine to declare yours to examine to prove and judge As one speaks e Cum dogma prâ—ponitur credendum aut praeceptum aliquod faciendum quum credere facere sunt actus mei Si me hominem rationis participem praestare velim c. Examinare oportet quicquid proponitur ad scientiam meam when any doctrine is propounded to be believed or any thing commanded to be done because to believe and to doe are my acts if I will shew my self to be a man endued with reason I ought to examine what is propounded and so to assent or dissent so far as agreeable or disagreeable to the Word And indeed unlesse you will say we are bound ad personas titulos to persons and titles and not to the truth of the Gospel it is requisite that we should not only examine f Non modò qualitatem authoritatem docentium sed qualitatem doctrinae the quality and authority of the teachers but the quality of the doctrines and what conformity it hath with the minde of Christ Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from heaven should preach another doctrine let him be accursed Neither indeed is it possible you should assent to and receive any truth of Christ without the previous action of a mans own judgement unlesse there passe examination and judgement in a mans own spirit that it is a truth of God I say there can no man embrace a truth and assent to it upon the bare perswasion or determination of another Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2 l. 5. c. 9 10 12 c. although he doth never so much desire it unlesse there passe an examination and a proper act of a mans own judgement that the thing commanded is the minde and will of Christ Indeed a man may not contradict it or a man may give up his affections to it and subscribe to it out of corrupt affections and from humane or rationall grounds but he can never receive it as a man never subscribe to it as a Christian till there hath passed an act of his own proper judgement and this upon scrutinie and examination It is a shame to thinke how the common sort of people doe embrace doctrine the authority of the imposers doth give them eyes to see and judgements to assent and faith to believe and subscribe to what ever is imposed In the reign of former Princes how soon were the body of the Nation converted from Popery to Protestantisme receiving and rejecting embracing and refusing the sacred truths of God mainly if not meerly according to the aspects and commands of authority And is there not the same spirit in the multitude to this day ready to embrace and receive what authority shall command without any previous search and examination whether the things be of God or no A blessed and happie thing it is for a Nation to reject corruption in worship superstition in the service of God but then to doe this as men as Christians knowingly And as blessed it is to embrace a reformation to submit to the waies of God but to doe it knowingly upon scrutiny and examination this will make you men and to adhere to the truths of God received upon the utmost hazzard I see in many a preparation of heart to subscribe to what ever is of God but oh that there were the care the study the endeavour to examine things also that you might evidence them to be the truths of God that you might say as they of Samaria Joh. 4.42 Now we believe not because thou hast told us but because we have heard our selves and we know him to be the Messiah So now we embrace this Doctrine this way of worship not because it is imposed not because it is prescribed of men but because I see and am perswaded in my heart it is of God this were a work worthy a Christian This I exhort you unto away with blinde faith with blinde obedience you are men doe things as men you are Christians doe things as Christians embrace not any thing out of fear but out of faith not out of corrupt affections Nec ego Ariminensis concilij authoritate nec tu Nicaeni detineriâ— Au. but out of a pure and holy heart reject nothing out of pride prejudice but out of light do nothing ignorantly but all knowingly be resolved in your selves and that upon search upon examination Do not pin your faith upon the bare authority of men no not the best of men 1. You will wrong God what a wrong is it to God to attribute that to man which is proper to him alone to set man in Gods throne and to receive and subscribe to man before you see God to speak in them 2. And what a wrong is it to man to make them masters of your faith they claim it not it is Gods due and as you wrong God so will you them if you doe give it to them 3. You wrong your own souls you prejudice your selves in the wayes of God wound your souls with guilt of sin 4. It declares you either ignorant atheisticall or carelesse about the businesse of your souls or to be led and byassed with corrupt affections fears and hopes when you will close with any thing till you have tryed it and examined it and brought it to the barre past sentence and judgement on it It is the bravest thing in the world to see men do things knowingly if not you doe but side with a way out of faction and affection not out of knowledge and conscience It is not easie to determine whether is worse to be rationally and knowingly in an errour or to be ignorantly and blindely in a truth Get light therefore to discover and then to embrace 5. You prejudice the cause of Christ when you adhere to it upon slender grounds What a shame to doe that which we are not able to evidence is our duty to doe to walk in that way which we are not able to maintain 6. You endanger your own revolting that man can never hold to a way which he hath not clear'd and thereby is perswaded to be the way of God The same ground upon which he receives a truth he will reject it and embrace an errour If authority come in it shall cast the scale any way if it had not been for this that authority came in we should not have had so many Protestants and if that authority had not come in we should not have had so many Papists When the Standard is set up all flock to it but to the standard of authority not of truth I may say of most they are this way and they are not that they embrace
Sermon on Hag. 1.2 3 4. p. 171 c. that as the name of Antiquity hath been the pretence for many errours so novelty hath been the plea which men have used in all ages against the truths discovered in their generations Since God hath broken the Antichristian yoak which lay upon all the world there is scarce any generation which he hath not honoured with some new or fuller discoveries of truth See Iewel to the same Sermon Mark 1.27 Act. 17.19 Antichrist had corrupted all both worship and doctrine and there must be a time of clearing that which he hath corrupted and when that is done he shall fall for he shall be consumed with the breath of Chirsts mouth and God doth honour every age with something he reforms us by parcels and this hath been the prejudice against truth in all generations the novelty of it this hath been the plea that corrupt hearts have had against the truths of their generation they are new things when indeed they are not new in respect of their being but in respect of their observation Nay and from the beginning it hath been the same pretence that careless and Atheisticall hearts have had against the truths of God You see in Christs time and in the Apostles time when they revealed the will of God they judged all to be new What new doctrin is this that we hear they said so of Christs Mark 1.27 and the like of the Apostles Act. 17.19 Let us hear what new doctrine is this you teach And in after ages there was the same spirit in men they adhered to their old customs and their ancient waies and rejected what ever was contrary to them as new It was Augustins complaint a Hic est mos diabolicus ut per antiquitatis traducem commendetur fallacia This is the devils custom to commend errour to us for truth under the notion of Antiquity Custom without verity is the antiquity of errour Again b Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas c. adverterdum est quod Dominus dicit ego sum via veritas vita if you doe oppose custom to truth consider what Christ saith I am the way the truth and the life c NoÌ„ lixit ego â—um consuetudo sed veritas Aug. He doth not say I am custom but I am truth And besides him others have had the same spirits to conflict withall Cyprian tells those of his time Every custom although old and common yet is inferiour to truth and that custom which is contrary to truth is to be abolished Another hath these words d Religionis authoritat non tempore aestimanda est sed numine neque enim quo die sed quid colere caeperis in tueri convenit quod verum est serum non est Arnob. Quod nos agemus novum quod vos priscum The authority of Religion is not to be reckoned by time but by revelation nor art thou to take notice what day this worship began but what this worship is which began at that time that which is truth is not late The same Authour dealing with those which did plead Antiquity against truth he saith That which we say is new and that which you doe is old but what doth this help you or weaken us The authority of truth is not to be measured by time but by revelation And Tertullian dealing with the same spirits in his generation saith f Hereâ—es non tam novitas quam veritaâ— revincit quodcunque contra veritatem sapâ—t haeresis est etiam vetâ—â— consuetudo Tertul. Novelty doth not confute an errour but the truth what ever is contrary to truth doth savour of heresie even though it be the most ancient custom And Bernard tels us of the wicked tongues of men g Qui cum manifestâ—â—â—umen obnubulare noÌ„ queunt de solu novitatis nomine ca villantur Bern. Cons Park de polit ecclesâ—t 2. c. 20 p. 254 who when they are not able to cloud or darken the evident light they cavil at it for a novelty But in vain doe those alledge custom who are convincâ—d with reason reason is to be preferred before custom much more is truth and the authority of God I name these for this end to shew you that it hath been the spirit of corrupt mâ—n in all ages to reject those things which are contrary to their erroneous customs for novelties and new things And it is the same spirit which acts in men to this day they will rather adhere to an old errour then embrace a new truth I say such a truth as is not new in respect of it's being but only in respect of our observing I might instance in many things what if I should single out this one only viz. our Lyturgie It may be you will say this was composed by learn'd and holy men such as were Reformers in their time it was so but there was never any Reformation since defection to Antichristianisme but in time that Reformation hath been discovered to stand in need of further Reformation we know but in part and God doth reveal his will gradually not all at once The Church grows to perfection not all at once but by degrees and it may be they went as farre then as the times would suffer there is something implied to that purpose in the front of it they had a contrary stream to conflict withall being newly come out of Poperie And I know not whether is the greater wonder of these two that they went so farre then at the first jump out of Popery when so many to oppose them or that we never went farther since after so many years preaching of the Gospel to us Certainly they were holy men precious men in their Generation but yet not perfect men thou rejects their holiness and closest with their imperfections thou adherest to their imperfections and makes use of their holiness for no other end but to retain their imperfections such which if they lived in our daies themselves would disclaim They were holy men and I may say of thee as Augustine did to the Donatists who alleadged Cyprian to patronize them in their errour i Quod in Cypriano naevuâ— in vobis fuligo est c. Aug. That which was a spot in Cyprian is Tartarian darkness and smoak in you Or as another answered the Armenians who said they held the same things with the Fathers k Quod in patribâ—â— error in Armenis haeresis est That which was but an errour in the Fathers is a heresie in the Armenians Or as another speaking of the African Fathers l Patres Africani ex ignorantia deâ—epti suere voâ— vero ex malitia peccatis Nobis vero qui admoniti edocti sumus nulla ejusmoâ—â— indulgentia relinquitur Cy The African Fathers were deceived out of ignorance but you sinne out of malice theirs was the impâ—rfection of their knowledge but yours is the perverseness of your wils Or
of humane learning Ephes 3.19 Eph. 3.19 That you may know the love of Christ WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE by knowledge there is meant all humane knowledge or the improvement of mans understanding in all kindes of humane learning And so much for the first acceptation 2. Sometimes learning is taken divinely and that either more Strictly Or Largely Also 1. More strictly for the knowledge of the doctrine of Christ the mystery of the Gospel Eph. 5.20 Eph. 5.20 Ye have not so learned Christ 2. More largely for the sound understanding of all divine doctrine 2 Tim. 3.14 15. 2 Tim. 3.14 15. Continue in the things which thou hast learned knowing of whom thou hast learned and that from a childe thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to salvation Thus it is said Rom. 15.4 Rom. 15.4 That all Scripture was given for our learning that is for our instruction and information in spirituall and divine things Now this knowledge in divine things which is diâ—â—â—e learning it may also be distinguished 1. It is either infused and revealed Or 2. It is meerly acquisite Or 3. It is partly acquisite and partly infused 1. It is either infused or immediately revealed and so was the knowledge of the Apostles and Prophets as the Apostle saith Ephes 3.2 3 4 5. Eph. 3.2 3 4 5. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me to you waâ—d how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men but is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit There the Apostle shews you plainly how they came to their knowledge 2. There is knowledge meerly acquisite by humane industry by education by arts and diligence by conversing with Scripture with the writings of learned and holy men together with the common assistance of the Spirit of God which is called generall and common illumination whereby a man may get a great deal of knowledge in divine things and be able to discourse preach to write to dispute of them and yet know nothing spiritually and savingly as he ought to know The heart is dark under all this light it 's but a dead knowledge it doth but tell the way it doth not inable to walk in it it doth but keep down it doth not mortifie and subdue sin it is but a daring it is no reforming light and what he knows he knows rather as a man then as a Christian rather rationally then spiritually he knows things but the godly know them by another light then he doth The light in an unregenerate man and one renewed it doth not differ in degree only but in kindes they see things different and have different sight of them one sees them by the evidence of reason the other by the demonstration of the Spirit the one is but like the light of the starrs the other of the Sunne as it may be night notwithstanding the Starrs so the heart may be dark notwithstanding all this light 3. There is knowledge partly acquisite partly infused I say partly infused of God and partly gotten by holy and religious diligence First God gives the eye to see and power for the eye to see and our sight is further cleared by the media the means of Gods appointment and ordination as reading hearing discoursing meditating and studying of the deep things of God The first is implanted light the second is improved light Divines distinguish between supernaturall habits of knowledge and such as are acquired by industry and diligence The knowledge God infuseth which is called the supernaturall habit of knowledge is properly a divine light whereby God doth break into and enlighten the soul and comes into a man as the Sunne ariseth upon the earth and dispels those foggs mists vapours of darknesse and ignorance which before clouded and darkned the soul and that which is acquisite is but the improving and using of that light to search out and know the minde and will of God more fully In the first God doth but as it were give man a candle whereby he sees and is able to search It is a candle within him not a light in his hand but in his heart many have the candle in the hand but not in the heart in the second it is but the use of this candle or this light which God hath given to search to know more of the minde of God and where ever he goes he hath a candle with him he hath an eye some measure of knowledge and light to discern of things that differ especially in those things which are essentiall to salvation And this is implied in those phrases you shall be all taught of God you have an unction of the holy One whereby you know all things There is many have the rationall eye that want the spirituall eye they have light in divine things but no divine light all the knowledge they have it is gotten up by industry by arts by common and generall helps they want that spirituall that holy humbling transforming light they have light but it is but the light of the starrs it is night for all this their heart is dark under all this light they have not the light of the Sun no light from Christ who is the Sun of righteousnesse which lightneth all that come into the new world of Saints You shall see a man get more knowledge of God in one half year after God hath come in with this spirituall light after God hath given him this eye then he had nay then others get all their lives Doe you not see it in every daies experience some men it may be your neighbours or kinred that before God worked on them they were dark understood nothing yet after God hath come in with this spirituall light they have in a short time grown up to wonder as farre exceeded thee as thou doest the poorest novice of the Parish and no wondâ—r they have been taught of God God hath implanted a light into them whereby like the Sun they shine more and more to a perfect day Thus having premised these necessary distinctions we will come to the answer of the Question Whether this be not enough to discover an opinion to be a truth that it is held forth by learned men c. Out of these distinctions laid down I shall frame these answers only 1. For one of these we shall cast it out there is no Question to be made of it That if by learning be meant that light that knowledge which is revealed of God to his Apostles and Prophets it is an infallible character of truth this is most certain All Scripture was given by inspiration of God holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. ult 2 Pet. 1. ult So that there is no Question if learning be taken for knowledge revealed by
for an errour There is nothing which a good heart doth entertain but he entertains it under this notion to maintain it he takes it intâ— his house his heart with a purpose to maintain it wicked men receive opinions to live on them but a good heart receives an opinion that it may live on him a corrupt heart entertains an opinion that it may maintain him but an honest heart that he may maintain it A bad heart takes in an opinion as his servant which he makes to serve him els he will not own it but a good heart entertains it as his Master which shall rule all and dispose of all if it say it must have his pains his estate c. to maintain it to promote it to advance it he is not master of any thing he hath but all must go to serve it And therefore seeing it is thus you had need to look strictly what you take into your heart you had need to know what you give entertainment to seeing you must give maintaining to it also and it may cost all you have I only say thus much all thou hast is not too dear for a truth too good for a truth But there is nothing so little but is too much for an errour And therefore take heed you be not deceived And thus much shall serve for the demonstration of the false marks we shall now come to the sure marks and characters whereby truth and errour may be evidenced You have seen hitherto though some of these which have been laid down may be said to be probable signes yet none of them can be set down for conclusive evidences We are now to deal with such viz. to lay down infallible and undeceiveable evidences of divine truth And this is the first and main Character Divine truth is word-revelation Truth proceeds from God Chara. 1 and is revealed in the Word to us All Scripture saith the Apostle * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3.16 It is given by inspiration of God and in the 2 Pet. 1.21 The prophecies came not in any time by the will of man Consul Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 Rom. 11.4 but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost The Word of God it is the râ—vealer of all divine truth if you would know what is truth your way lies clear enquire not so much what this man saith or what that For all men are lyars but search and enquire what saith the answer of God Non debâ—mus attendere quia alij ante nos sed quid Christus ante omnes dixit We are not to attend what others before us but what Christ before all hath spoken the truth is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 The Word is nothing else but a beam of that eternall Sun but a ray of divine of God-communication It is called the Word of truth nay truth it self Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth and this makes the lest syllable in the Word to be more firm for a soul to rest on then all the protestations of men or Angels they though true yet they are not infallibly true they are not immutably true but God is and his Word is a beam of this truth a ray proceeding from this Sun and therefore saith the Prophet Isa 40 8. The grasse withereth the flower fadeth Isa 40.8 1 Pet. 1.25 Mat 5.18 but the Word of our God shall stand for ever 1 Pet. 1.25 Nay heaven and earth shall passe away before one iota one title of the Word shall fail Matth. 5.18 It is truth it is immutable it is infallible truth and divine truth is Word-revelation The Scripture is not only the revealer of divine truth but of all divine truth not that there is no more divine truth then what is revealed in the Word but that there is no more for us there is no more to be believed and obeyed then what God hath revealed in his Word It is the boundary of doctrine and the adequate measure of all divine truth Deut. 4.2 and therefore God sends us thither as to the place where we should finde all doctrine to be believed and obeyed and as to the touchstone whereby we should try all Doctrines Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimonies if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them And the Apostle would have you know that Word-revelation is a surer way to evidence truth then a revelation from heaven as hee tells us 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18. where having been speaking of a revelation from heaven and the clearest that ever was revealed in the transfiguration of Christ the Apostles themselves were eye-witnesses thereof and heard that voice from heaven This is my well-beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased yet saith he vers 19. We have a more sure Word of prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning Word-revelation not that this is a more sure revelation then that was but that this is surer to us Word-revelation is more sure to us then a revelation from heaven God would have us to know truth by Word-revelation divine truth is Word-revelation And that is the first Character which yet for fuller and clearer conception I will branch forth into three particular maximes Max. 1 What ever the Word of God doth plainly and evidently hold forth that is infallibly truth the Word of God or God in the Word doth give out all Doctrine to be believed and obeyed and whatever the Word holds forth what ever hath a bottom and firm footing in the Word that is undoubtedly truth All is divinely true which the Word holds forth but all is not morally and practically good All is to be believed which the Word holds forth but all is not to be observed what ever is in the Word is the object of our faith but what ever is in the Word is not to be the rule of our life There are no provisoes to be laid down in point of faith all is truth and we must believe all Fides non eligit objectum faith doth not single â—ut it 's object it doth not pick and chuse but believes all which God hath spoken but there must be some provisoes in matter of practice though all to be believed yet all is not to be observed unlesse 1. It be of common equity and not of peculiar ingagement interest priviledge 2. Unlesse it be of perpetuall right and observance Vniversalis perpetui juris and not temporary and for a time only There were many things which the Word gave out to the Nation of the Jews to be observed which since Christ are as Statutes now repealed they were not of common and generall equity nor were they to be of perpetuall and everlasting observance and therefore are not to be observed by us though believed of us what ever the Word gives out is to be the object of our faith but not
glory his wisedome his power his mercy his justice c. This is the rock into which we with Moses must get if we would see the glory of God God might have advanced his justice his power out of Christ in our condemnation but he hath alone set himselfe to be advanced in his glory to all eternity in his Sonne and that which advanceth God in Christ is certainely a truth of God I come now to the fourth Fourthly That which doth really doe all this that I say which doth really advance all God in Christ is certainely a truth of God I say really there are many opinions which advance our selves not God and perhaps some which seeme to advance some of God not all of God and some which may advance all God in Christ seemingly but yet not really not truly they may seemingly advance Gods glory and yet really be destructive and opposite to the glory of God It is said of the Chymickes that they will so counterfeit gold that no touchstone can discover it though you goe to the touchstone to try it yet you shall not be able to discerne whether it be true gold or no there is no way to try it but by the fire and the fire that will purify that which is good and render it more excellent but that which is counterfeit will evaporate into ayr and smoake it is not able to abide the tryall Christians ī there are many subtle opinions many that have a great deale of Chymistry in them they are good it may be at the touch but yet are naught at the test they may passe the touch here and not be discerned but the test shall discover them the fire shall try them how ever they may passe mans judgement yet at that great burning day they shall be discovered when that which is substantiall shall alone continue and that which hath been counterfeit shall evaporate into air and smoak the Apostle seems to imply this in the 1 Cor. ◠12 13 14 15. If any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble Every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is where the Apostle tells us that there shall be a triall though opinions and doctrines may passe the touch yet they shall not passe the test this triall shall be by fire If his work abide he shall receive reward if be burned he shall suffer losse but hee himself shall bee saved yet so as by fire Now then would you know what is truth in those many opinions which are held forth see whether they be Word-revelation see whether they 1. Advance God 2. All God 3. All God in Christ and 4. whether they doe all this really that which doth really advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of Christ and so much for the second Character We are come to the third Character which is this Charact. 3. That which doth really advance the whole Chara. 3 work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints that is certainly a truth of God There are three eminent discoveries of truth 1. Truth may be discovered from the seat of it 2. It may be known by the qualities of it 3. It may be discerned by the operations and workings of it By these three eminent Characters I have endeavoured to evidence truth 1. From the seat of truth * Eph. 4.21 It is in Jesus and that was our first Character Divine truth is Word-revelation 2. From the qualities of it and the second Character was one of the most mainest can be laid down viz. Truth doth really and truly advance all God in Christ 3. We are now upon the third which is to discover truth by the operations and workings of it and here I tell you That truth doth really advance the whole work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints And when I have done this I hope there will be sufficient spoken to evidence truth from errour unto you Now for our fuller and clearer proceeding upon this wee must give you out this Character in four particulars 1. I say Truth doth advance the work of grace 2. It doth advance the whole work of grace 3. It doth advance the whole work of grace in heart and life 4. And it doth all this really We shall speak to these particulars briefly and then summe them up and speak to them all joyntly as they are comprised in the Character 1. First Truth doth advance the work of grace In the former Character I had to doe with truth as it advanced grace in God here I have to doe with it as it doth advance grace in us In the first I had to doe with it as a divine affection and disposition in God here I have to doe with it as a divine quality implanted into us the first hath respect to grace without us this second hath respect to grace within us inherent and imparted grace our holinesse and therefore I call it here the work of grace 2. Truth doth advance the whole work of grace It doth not only advance some but the whole work of grace There may be some opinions which may seem to advance some part of the worke but they carry not on the whole worke of grace in a sweet and even proportion you have many opinions which may seem to be serviceable to the advancement of some graces but not of all they may seem helpfull to some particulars but yet are not serviceable to the whole frame It is the nature of truth to serve the advancement of the whole work of grace Indeed it is true there bee some truths that have a more proper and peculiar influence upon one then upon another and may be serviceable to one more then to another grace but yet there is no truth that is disserviceable to any nay no truth but is helpfull to all Truth advanceth the whole work of grace 3. It advanceth the whole work of grace both in heart and life not but that which doth the one truly doth the other as really but because many will pretend the advancement of the work of grace in the heart when there is no such thing seen in the life therefore I put them both together and say Truth advanceth the whole work of grace both in heart and life Truth doth not onely help your comforts but they help your service not only your graces but your duties it doth not only relieve your faith but your obedience also though indeed some truths that may be more naturally and immediately serviceable to one then to the other Some truths may be said to be cordials others physick and others food some that are more proper for comfort others for purging and others for strength and enablement but though one truth may have a more proper influence into such a work then another yet you may suspect that
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
the will of God all the wayes of God and doe they advance all God in Christ And doe all this not seemingly but really Certainely if so they are truths of God Besides you that have entertayned and closed with any opinions tell me let conscience speake hast thou found them to be serviceable to advance the whole work of grace in thy heart and in thy life What operations have they had upon thee have they humbled thee quickned thee made thee more holy more exact in thy walking c. Indeed its true truths are more infallibly known in their esse then in their operari in thesi then in praxi in their revelation then in their operations But yet they may be discerned by their operations also because all truth workes like unto it selfe its holy and it worketh holily pure and it workes purely spiritually and it workes spirituall many who know not the simples of things as they grow that yet know them by their operations and many who know not a truth in its esse and being who yet know it in its operations and workings they know not truth as it is in Iesus but they know truth as it workes like Jesus they cannot evidence truth so fully in its being in the word as they can in its operations upon the heart many that know it better by experience then they can evidence it by arguments And you shall be able to judge of most opinions if you doe but look upon them in their operations upon the heart Certainely that which doth humble us quicken us make us more holy c. it cannot likely be an errour if an opinion hath these influences and operations upon the heart it is surely a truth And on the contrary if an opinion doth make us more proud self-conceited uncharitable lesse exact in our walking c. it is not probable to be a truth truth is holy and it works like to it self holily If a man had received a pill and he see it worke kindly upon the humours he concludes it is good and proper but if instead of working upon them and emptying the body of malignant humours it doth swell a man c. he will presently conclude it is poyson So when you have entertayned an opinion and you finde it workes kindly upon your corruptions it doth humble you purge you and is helpfull to your graces it doth quicken you and make you more holy you have some comfortable evidence that this is a truth it workes like truth But on the contrary if we finde an opinion doth swell us up with pride make us proud and censorious and uncharitable deads our hearts to duty slackens the hand to the exercise of godlines and you see this not onely the fruit but the proper effect of the opinion you may be sure that opinion is an errour Christians you are fallen into those times wherein errours doe abound as some truths are discovered so many errours are revealed you need to take heed you be not deceived especially seeing every opinion doth language it self unto you in the words of the text Loe here is Christ. And me thinks I did not need to say any more that which I have spoken might be sufficient to discover errour and to confirme you in the truth But yet in regard there are so many opinions abroad and many of those so dangerous so subtle so seductive I shall in the conclusion of this Question adde a few particulars which may serve instead of a fence to preserve you from errour and a starre to guide you in the wayes of truth And I shall branch this discourse into these two generall heads 1. Cautions 2. Directions 1. Beware of being too credulous of taking all upon trust and drinking in all you heare many men whose souls are but like to blanke paper fit for any to scroll upon or like to soft wax ready to receive what impression men will stampe in them Wee are commanded to examine to try to prove all things as I have shewed at large Non opus est virilis intelligentiae sed puerilit inscitiae therefore hath God given you the light of reason as you are men the light of grace as you are Christian men that you might prove and examine doctrines If we were to take all on trust there were no need of the understanding of men the simplicity of children would serve the turne for that Now I finde there are three great grounds why men are so apt to take opinions upon trust 1. a Qualitatem docentium non doctrinae One is because they come handed to us by the best men b Non personis fides probanda est sed potius ex fide persona Men examine more the quis then the quid the quality of the doctor more then the nature of the doctrine which is held forth if they see an opinion handed to them by holy men and learned men they presently receive it even as Gospell without any scruple or any doubt of it and thus oftentimes though they thirst after truth Quamvis evangeliuÌ„ sitiunt venenum hauriant Consul Morton Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. cap. 12. p. 421. Hoc lantuÌ„ scio quod nihil scio Consul Mort. Apol Cath. p. 2. l. 5. cap. 12. Estote probait numularij siquis numâ—aus fit adulterus figuraÌ„ Caesaris non habeat nec signatus fit moneta publica reprobetur Morton yet they drinke in errour you had need to take heed of this in these dayes I have told you the best of men are but men and being men they may be deceivers though they are not willing to deceive the Apostle tells us We know but in part And this is not the least part of our knowledge to know that our knowledge is imperfect 2. A second ground men are so apt to take an opinion upon trust is because an opinion comes languaged under the most receptâ—ble termes it is conveyed to them under the highest notions perhaps it may speake the language of the Text Loe here is Christ And indeed if you looke abroad you shall scarce see any opinion that will stoop to seek its entertaynment or procure its reception upon lower termes then as the minde of Christ every opinion pretends Christs commission for its passe and will carry as bigg a saile as truth it self And though this prevaile much with men to give up their understandings and subject their hearts to such an opinion either they feare to reject it or for the very name sake they embrace it yet certainely all is not truth that goes under that name too many doe stamp Christs image upon their own coyne To discover some of those opinions to you which goe under that name you may take in these few particulars 1. Certainely that opinion which suits not with the minde of Christ though it say Loe here is Christ yet it is an errour not a truth of Christ 2. That opinion which suites not with the
nature of Christ who is pure and holy though it say Loe here is Christ yet believe it not it is an errour and no truth of Christ 3. That opinion which suites not with the life of Christ which was exact holy humble c. though it hold forth Loe here is Christ yet it is none of Christs 4. That opinion which obscures and robbs Christ of his glory and gives to man that which is due alone to Christ though it say Loe here is Christ yet it is an errour and no truth of Christ 5. That opinion which breeds a distance and estrangement between Christ and the soul that interrupts the soule in communion with Christ either in believing or obeying that draws the soul either froÌ„ the obedience of faith or the obedience to the command though it say Loe here is Christ yet it is an errour and no truth of Christ By these touches you may discover many opinions to be errours that goe under that name which shews you the danger of drinking in all opinions that language themselves unto you under the name of Christ A third ground why men are so apt to take opinions on trust is because besides all this they may carry some fair and lovely aspects which may render them lovely and desirable as if they were truth it self many men are tempted into an opinion rather then perswaded into it they are led rather by affection then by judgement the benigne and fair aspects which an opinion may carry may much take men and prevail with them for the entertainment of it It was our fall at first the lovely aspects which the fruit did bear and it is many an ones fall still even the fair and lovely aspects which an opinion seems to carry with it I have told you the Prince of darknesse may transform himself into an Angel of light and he may convey errour to you not only under the notion but under the habit of truth it self and render an errour every way as lovely desirable and acceptable as the truth it self And therefore there being so much danger dealing with so subtle an adversary we had need to beware what we entertain and sift it to the bottome before ever wee give it welcome into our hearts And that 's the first Caution I will be brief upon the rest 2. Beware of prejudice look not prejudicially upon an opinion As wee are not to look upon an opinion with affection and so give up our hearts to it before wee have tried it so wee must not look upon it with disaffection and so set our hearts against it before wee have examined it Indeed there are some opinions not worthy tryall Some are to bee lookt upon with abhorrency as such which are destructive to faith and godlinesse when I say you are not to look upon opinions with prejudice I mean not these for those you are to look upon with abhorrencie but I mean such as are controverted among the godly themselves and such as may consist with all holinesse of life and conversation of these I would be understood to speak when I say look not with prejudice against any way men when they receive prejudice against a way either they will not search at all or if they doe they will not know As affâ—ctions to a way doth hasten the understanding to know and the heart to embrace it so disaffection to a way doth hinder the understanding from knowing and hold off the heart from embracing It is a hard thing to perswade that man whose heart is either ingaged to a contrary way or his understanding prejudiced to this way Such a man may bee convinced but it is hard to perswade him his affections and ingagements act against all that light that he will not see he will not know it must be our work if wee will finde out truth to beware of prejudice You know it was that which hindered the Jews from closing with Christ who was the great truth and it will be that will hinder you from embracing of lesser truths Formerly the novelty of a way the paucity of professours the meannes of their condition the weaknesse of their parts and abilities the bad entertainment a truth had in the world were the great stumbling blocks or prejudices to the entertainment of truth It was so in the Gospel as you all know and it is well if the prejudices be not turn'd the other way and that the ancientnesse of an opinion the multitude of professours the quality of them the greatnesse of their learning and parts the favour it may finde in the world be not the great prejudices which may hinder from the closing with it God hath often times in providence smiled upon an errour and discountenanced a truth and he may please to let the truth finde favour and errour bee discountenanced Wee look for those daies when God shall make Kings nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his Church when the Kingdoms of the earth shall become the Lords and his Christs this is promised and therefore this should bee no prejudice when God doth bring it about to hinder us from the entertainment of an opinion If you would finde out truth beware of prejudice on any side and look singly upon the opinion without any other respects at all 3. Beware of being byassed with carnall and corrupt affections most men of the world are carried with byasses rather then with principles they are moved rather by affections then judgement by things without them rather then principles within them There are four great Byasses which carry most men in the world 1. The first Byas is the love of the world which is a strong byas There are too many that stand as the people in the Market-place who would not goe into the vineyard till they were hired so they are not willing to entertain an opinion embrace a way till they can see what it can doe for them they must be hired with filthy lucre and will doe nothing till they see what will be most advantagious God keep us from such a spirit He who doth not see truth all riches shall never be the possessour of it such a man will see nothing to be truth or errour but what may stand with his own ends his secular advantages As they used to say of a corrupt Judge he had Bos in lingua he had money in his tongue and being bribed would say any thing So J may say of a worldly man he hath bos in corde the world in his heart and hee will not close with or embrace any thing but what may stand with his advantages where there is the love of the world Caeterae cupiditates ingenti cupiditati subservient there is desire to get the world and fear to lose the world and such a man will make all to serve his main corruption You see the desire of gain it made Judas to sell Christ Demas forsake Christ he forsook Christ and did cleave to this
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
a Synod may by a solemn act and in the name of Jesus Christ renounce any further communion with such Churches till they be reformed Ibid. and may in the same name declare and publish those erring Churches are not to be received into fellowship with any of the Churches of Christ Cotton Keys p. 25 nor to have communion one with another in the ordinances of Christ Here is now a great deal And one of the brethren hints something more in that expression of his We dare not say that the power of a Synod reacheth no further then to give counsell For saith he such as their ends be for which according to God they doe assemble such is the power given them of God to attain those ends as they meet to minister light and peace to such Churches as lie in errour or variance so they have power by the grace of Christ not only to give light and counsell in matter of truth and practice but also to command and enjoyn things to be believed and done the expresse words of the Synodicall letter imply so much Act. 15.27 It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and us to lay upon you no other burthen This burthen therefore to observe those necessary things which they speak of they had power to impose it is an act of the binding power of the keys to binde burthens and this binding power ariseth not only materially from the weight of the matters imposed but also formally from the authority of the Synod which being an ordinance of Christ bindeth the more for the Synods sake So that here you see is a great agreement all the difference is in point of Excommunication they conceive a Synod hath not power to excommunicate either Churches or persons 1. And for Churches in that many of the brethren agree with them and say as I told you a whole Church is not to be excommunicated and for those that dissent and say whole Churches may be excommunicated to them they grant not only the half of it but the substance of the thing for what is condemning forsaking rejecting of a Church c. but Excommunication in the substance of it and so some of the Brethren take it the least that can be made of it is Analogicall and proportionable to Excommunication 2. And for the second viz. the Excommunication of persons by a Synod to me they grant the thing though not the name and the Brethren of the other minde say they thinke that Excommunication doth not belong to a Synod Secundum actus elicitos sed imperatos It is rather the work of a Synod to enjoyn it to be done then to doe it themselves yet if delivering up to Satan be not of the formality of the sentence of Excommunication as many of our brethren thinke but the consequent and fruit of the censure Bur. Heart divisions p. 4. then I see not that there is any difference as I shewed you before And thus I have shewed you what materials our brethren will afford us to this building which I could for my own part rather be content to sit down withall then by raising it higher but heighten our confusion run the mischief of division among our selves then which no penall evil can be sadder and more uncomfortable I wish we might all remember the Apostles rule Phil. 3.15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Neverthelesse whereto we have already attain'd let us walk by the same rule minde the same things And thus we have done with the first great means for the suppressing of errour and reducing of erroneous persons viz. Ecclesiasticall We come now to the second means propounded which we call civil and magisteriall * NoÌ„ tantuÌ„ sermo meus quantum mandatum tuum Naz. And this is a point of no lesse concernment then it is of controversie at this time The secoÌ„d means to sâ—ppresse errour It were a sad thing if there were no bounds for errour and as sad it were to goe beyond Gods bounds for the suppressing of them I told you in the entrance upon this last Question it was a tender point an intricate subtle controversie diversly asserted and as differently maintained I shall not here deal with this controversie in the latitude of it only as relating to the Question here propounded And that I may not lengthen out this discourse too farre by multiplying needlesse Questions and entring upon collaterall disputes I will summe up all that I shall speak to this Quâ—stion under these five generall heads 1. We will shew you what power the Magistrate may be said not to have 2. We will shew what the power of the Magistrate is asserted to be as relating to this Question 3. We will examine whether such a power be ordained and warranted of God 4. Whether such a power be needfull in the Church 5. And lastly how this power is to be dispenced 1. We will begin with the first viz. What power the Magistrate may be said not to have In the entrance upon which let me tell you by power I mean not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the power of might but the power of right not a power taken but a power given and that not by men but by God an authoritative power wherewith he is invested of God for Id possumus quod jure possumus And in that sense I speak of the Magistrates power thorow this discourse And first then 1. The Magistrate hath not an absolute power to doe what he pleaseth in the things of God The object of religion is a supernaturall good and for that we are not to depend upon the will of man but the will of God that which he hath commanded we must doe Ezek. 20. When Magistrates goe beyond the bounds of the Word they take upon them a greater power then God hath given them they are Gods Ministers Rom. 13. and therefore their wils are to be subordinate to the will of their Master and upon all their injunctions should be engraven what the Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14 38. The things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. It is the Prerogative royall of God and Christ to command things because they will and cannot be usurped by any mortall man without high injury to Jesus Christ Tertullian hath a passage to this purpose IniquaÌ„ exeractu do miâ—ationeÌ„ si ideo râ—gâ—vis licere qu a vultis non quia â—â—buit non licere Tertul. A pol aâ—vers Gent. You exercise an unjust dominion over others if you therefore deny a thing may be d ne because you will not because it ought not to be done It was a hâ—gh presumption of Constantius who when he would compell the Orthodox Christians to imbrace Arianisme uttered these words Quod ego volo pro canone sit That which I
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
diffâ—rence in waies that those who doe agree in so many things should differ in one nay in one thing in many things whereof they also do agree I may sâ—y here as it is subscribed at the foot of a complaint concerning the differences of the Reformed Churches Oh that we should agree in so much and differ for so little It is a sâ—d thing and speaks more evil to us then all our evils upon us 2. Shall I say as this agreement is possible so it is exceeding desirable 1. It is desirable to Christ witnesse his prayer Joh. 17.21 That we may be one even as God and he is one Shall I say it would be the joy of Christ in heaven to see this accord on earth it is that which he sweat for that which he did bleed for it is a part of the travel of his soul the income whereof will be desirable to him And doe but thinke what a grief it is to your Saviour to see his people members of his body heirs of the same hope that lay together in the same bosome of election are sharers in the same priviledges born to the same hopes that they whose names he carries together and presents before the Father continually in heaven should be divided and rent asunder upon earth It is a patheticall passage which Luther hath in an Epistle to the Ministers of Norimberg Suppose saith he you saw Jesus Christ standing bodily in the midst of you and by his very eyes speaking thus unto your hearts What do you ô my dear children whom I have redeemed by my blood renewed by my word that you might mutually love one another There is no danger in your difference but there is much in your dissension Do not thus sadden my spirit Do not thus spoyl the holy Angels of their joy in heaven Am not I more to you then all your matters of difference then all your affections then all your offences Can any unjust trouble pierce your heart so much as my wounds as my blood as I the whole Saviour Jesus Christ Certainly as it is the grief of Christ in heaven so let me speak after the manner of men it would be his joy and glory in heaven to see the hearts and spirits of his own people united and made one in the truth 2. As it is desirable to Christ so it is desirable it self the miseries we feel in the want of it doe exceedingly heighten and advance the worth of it to us This indeed will be the crown of all our conquests the glory of all our deliverance the ruine of our enemies is nothing to the union of our friends nor are all sad calamities upon us to be compared to the divisions among the Saints Eusebius saith of Constantine He was more troubled at the dissensions in the Church then with all the warrs in his dominions Indeed these are the saddest of divisions and carry desolation in the face of them The Philosophers tell us that each naturall body doth no lesse desire it's unity then it 's being and how much more should the body mysticall without which unity it cannot long subsist in being Every difference from unity is a steppe towards a nullitie 3. It is desirable to us It is the subject of all our prayers of all our tears and so desirable that nothing will satisfie without it though God have done much for this kingdome and is still riding on in his glory to doe more yet we cannot but say with Abraham What will all this profit us if thy people be not one Alas how can we give up one another Those who have wept together prayed together worked together taken sweet counsell together hitherto been one how can we now be two how sad were it if that those who have been fellow-mourners fellow-suffâ—rers joynt prayers and contenders with God for these deliverances should not now be joynt enjoyers of the mercy and deliverance Certainly this is desired of all as the way to it let us breath after and hasten that of the Prophet Zeph. 3.9 When all that call on the name of the Lord shall serve him with one consent And that of the Apostle Rom. 15.5 6 7. That God would grant us to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that we may with one minde and one mouth glorifie God This is sure the desire of all and ô that we should be at one in our desires to be one and at difference in the waies whereby we may be one 4. It is desirable to all the Churches of Christ. Where hath Christ a Church on earth that is not now in travel to see the birth of this unioâ— where hath he a people that doe not pray and wait we may be one What the Historian said of Ormus I may say of England If all the world were a ring England were the jewel It is so looked upon as the Jewel of all the Christian world for eminency of grace and holinesse And as our differences are the sadning of the spirits of the Churches of Christ so our union would be the jâ—y of their souls even life from the dead a sufficient income for all their prayers their tears laid out for it Certainly it is desirable to all but those who desire to dance in our ashes and would rejoyce in our ruine the speeding of which doth lie in our differences one with another Thus I have shewed you that this agreement is possible it is desirable I might shew you the necessity of it the mischiefs which are like to follow if it be not but being done so fully by another hand I shall wave it And now in the last place unto these weak desires cast in some few thoughts which may be subservient in this happy union and accommodation 1. I wish that both parties would get their hearts more overcome with the love of union and peace this very love of peace would carry us a great way towards an union we can talk of it but our hearts are not taken with it we can play the Oratours say much in the commendation of it but who pursues it who makes it the businesse of his life to attain it Doe we not rather side with our dividing interests then with our uniting engagements and seek rather to be well alone then to be happy together Who is it that saith resolvedly we must be one we cannot live without you nor you without us It was a superlative expression of Luthers writing to the Pastours of Stratsburg I pray you saith he be perswaded that I shall alwaies be as desirous to embrace concord as I am desirous to have the Lord Jesus propitious to me O that we had more of this spirit That our hearts were so overcome with the love of union that we could be content to be any thing that this might be and to tread upon our choisest priviledges and interests if they might be a rise and advantage to this desired union 2. Silencing all
I may say as another If any of our Predecessours failed out of ignorance or imperfection of knowledge God will pardon that but we that are warned and taught we may suspect that indulgence for us It is that which Jewel hath out of Hillar against the wilfull in his time m Illu in eo quod nesâ—â—unt potest adhuc in tuto esse salus fieredant ribi vero jam omnia aâ—saturem câ—auâ—a suÌ„t que negas quoâ—â—am ignorare non potes Hil. Men may be saved though they hold many errours of ignorance but all waies of life are shut up to thee who denies that which thou cannot be ignorant of unless you will wilfully shut your eyes Chrysostom hath a good expression for it n Qui in luce peccat impudentior est ex suribus enim leges eos gravius puniunt qui interdiu surantur Chrys in â—â—al â— Those are the boldest sinners who will sin in the times of light the Laws doe ever punish those theeves worst that steal in the day and of all sinners those shall have most stripes that sin in the light and oppose the light Certainly those of our Predecessours that have gone before us were learned and holy men in their generation yet as the Apostle saith of himself I may say of any age in the world we know but in part And what Solomon saith of persons I may say of things Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day There is no age is so excellent but after ages have excelled them o Non ita leviter de Scriptoribus recentioribus â—entiendum quasi Patribus praeponendi non essent Neque adeò de Patribus magnificè censendum quasi Neoâ—ericis post ponendi non vâ—derentur Consul Park de polit eccles lib. 2 cap 14. pag. 233 234 c. We are not to think saith one so lightly of modern and late Writers as if they were not in some things to be preferred before the Fathers nor to think so highly of the Fathers as if they were not short of them that come after them They were all famous in their generations The collection of Weemes upon Rev. 1.13 Consul etiaÌ„ Parker l. 2. c. 14 p. 234. I love not to make comparisons But yet Wickliffe Hus Jerome of Prage Whitaker c. come not short of any I have read an observation of one that Justin Martyr who lived in the second Century had more errours in one Tome then Augustine who lived in the fourth Century had in ten And there seems to be much in the Word to countenance fuller discoveries and clearer revelations of truths to after then former ages Some Divines have gathered it from the Girdle which under the Law was about their loyns now it is about the paps by which they thinke to be shadowed out the greater perfection of the after ages of the Church then the former Some think it to be shadowed forth in * Brightman in locum Quia Pellucidum ab omni humano fermento purum Cons Pâ—rk de polit eccles p. 235 c. Bright in Apoc. 14. c. 14.2 6. c. 15.2 5. c. Park de polit eccle l. 2. c. 14 per totum Revel 14.2 where they say the doctrine of the fathers for the indistinct sound is compared to the noise of many waters which doth strike the ear with an unprofitable sound But the doctrine of the later Writers Revel 14.2 3. to the voice of harps and the harps of God that is the most excellent Rev. 15.2 3. Some again would have it shadowed out by the sea of glasse like crystall Revel 4 6. Revel 15.2 under which say they is shadowed the clearnesse of the worship of God from humane corruptions which shall be in the latter daies for the times wherein the Fathers lived which were in the third and fourth Century chiefly The sea was not then of glasse but it was terrene and bloudy as it is set forth in Revel 8.8 and that by reason of the mountain cast into the sea which was the mountain of Episcopacie and Patriark-ship Much more might be said of it but I shall referre my Reader to the Authours in the margin And thus much shall serve for the first Question and also for the second My admonition to you is this that when you plead antiquitie or ancientnesse of custom take heed of taking mens customs for Gods commands or adhering to mens practices without the prescriptions of God That is not truly ancient which men have long practised but that is true antiquity which God hath prescribed if custom though it be never so ancient be without prescription from God it is but old errour and to be abolished And for the second viz. the Novelty of doctrin my admonition is that you would distinguish between those things which are new in respect of being and such things as are new in respect of observation things may be new to you and yet not new in themselves Take heed of rejecting any doctrine meerly under the notion of new you may so reject truth as well as errour It may be the doctrine is not new in it self though new to you Against this rock many have split themselves wilfully shutting their eyes against the discoveries of their times under the pretence of novelty The most precious truths that are have been in their generations looked upon as new there is nothing which you hold different from Poperie but in their generation when first they were revealed and manifested they have been looked upon and rejected for novelties If your spirits had lived in the times of Luther and Calvin they would have rejected all those things which they discovered under the same notion which you reject truth in these daies though indeed there was nothing which they held was new in respect of being but only new in respect of observation nay there was nothing in which Luther dissented from Popery but it was condemned in all Councels which were before that Antichristian Councel or conventicle of Trent when surely God sealed to the bill of divorce against them But I have done with the first and second Question there are many more which we shall now speak unto in their order The third is this Qu. Whether it be not a sufficient character to evidence an opinion to be erroneous the wickednes of them that maintain it Answ It is with most men that they take up their judgement of an opinion not from the precepts of God but from the practices of those men who are the Authours and receivers the maintainers and entertainers of it if they see a man to walk holily and unblameably in his life and conversation though this a man may doe and yet not be holy in heart and affection they presently conclude that all that comes from such men is truth and hereupon are ready to swallow and entertain as truth without any further debate