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
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
it may stand with Gods mercifull ends to those who are brought in that there should be many errours II. We are now come to the second how it may stand with Gods mercifull ends to those who are not yet called but in his purpose to call And it may stand with Gods mercifull ends to those yet in his purpose to call or those who are not yet called and brought in 1. To be a meanes to awaken them and put them upon the study and enquiry after truth the aboundance of errours abroad may put men to search and find out what is truth when you see men up in armes as it were in hot contentions to find out what is truth who save only Atheists but will think themselves concern'd in it every one will think surely it is their businesse also and so will fall upon inquisition and search of it If there be any thoughts of eternity in you if you be not Atheists if you doe conceive there is a Heaven and a hell and that errour leades one way and truth the other it cannot be but that aboundance of errours abroad must awaken you and put you on to enquire to heare to reade to confer to endeavour to find out truth It was the multitude of errours which put Luther to search out what was truth if there had not been so many errours it might be he had not enquired and sought out truth the like I may say of Calvin and others and the errours and corruptions in worship imposed did put on us to the triall of the whole and made us more strict to examine the bottomes whereon we stood 2. God suffers it to beate them off their sandy foundations whereon they build As it is a meanes to put you on to search what your foundation is whereon you build the bottome whereon you stand so it is a meanes to beat you off your sandy foundations When a man sees aboundance of opinions abroad one saith this another that sure it will make a man to put the question to himselfe upon what foundation doe I stand what is my bottome And how can he have any rest till he have gotten a better foundation to build on a foundation which none of these opinions can shake and unsettle when he sees so many faire buildings specious structures to fall down and not able to stand out the blast of triall and temptation because they are houses built on the sands It will make a man to enquire after the rock and endeavour to build there that when the wind blowes yet the house may stand firme This is the different working which opinions have upon the good and bad upon such whom God hath a purpose of good unto and upon such that he will not own That the one the multitude of opinions doth draw him away or else Atheist him that he will be nothing The other it doth un-atheist him put him upon the search and examination what is the truth of God One he is now more formall and minds no more but meere formality to goe to Church and say over a prayer and if God will save him with that well and good he will doe no more The other these things doe fire him out of his formality and he can have no rest till he come to some bottome to stand on And that is another end God hath he would awaken and beate us off our sandy foundations 3. God suffers multitude of opinions and out of mercy to them who are not yet brought in to clear the way unto those who are not yet brought into the ways of grace that when they are brought in they may be able to see their way more clearely As we our selves doe receive a great deale of light and benefit by the sufrings and clashings of others If there had not been such clashing and disputing in former ages our way had not been so cleare to us in many glorious truths So here God suffers it that posterities may inherit the benefit that after ages might be able to see more clearely what to doe and what is truth It is a great favour for a man that must goe a way dark and knotty to have one goe before him not only with a light to discover the way but with a weapon too to cut down those cumbrances which are in the way that there may be nothing to hinder the passage oh how sweetly how evenly and quietly a man may goe Such gracious ends hath God to after generations by suffering these multitude of opinions and errours to arise in our age and generation Seldome was any truth discovered and cleared but some errour or other was the occasion to draw it out The point of Free grace in opposition to mans free will in the work of conversion had not been so fully discovered if that Pelagius had not broached that errour that man might be saved if he would that he himselfe might beleeve repent if he would which occasioned Augustines so full debates and cleare setling of the truth The freenesse of Gods grace in the work of justification that it is of meere grace had not been so fully cleered to us if it had not been for the errour of the Papists that it was of works and not of grace So the doctrine of predestination that it is of grace and not of faith and works foreseen the contrary errour brought out this truth and helpt the full birth of it So the doctrine of the Sacraments the stability of Gods Covenant with his people perseverance of the elect All these and many thousand more whose birth hath been helped by the publishing of errours the publishing of errours have been a meanes to the cleering of the most precious truths we have which had not been so cleere to us now if that there had not been a cloud of errours over them before Nay I say since the defection of the Church and the universall corruption by Antichrist and popery there hath scarce any glorious truth been cleared or discovered but by opposite errour Errour hath been a meanes to help on to sift and to find out truth As we bring fire out of flint by striking it so out of these clashings truth Nay you see in Scripture that the publishing of errour was a good meanes or help or gave occasion to the publication of many glorious truths of God Acts 15. you see there the errour which was then broached to the disturbance of the Churches of Antioch was the occasion of the setling and clearer revealing of the opposite truth The Jews errour of being justified by the Law and looking for righteousnesse thereby was an occasion of the publication of the use of the Law the impotencie of it to justifie and save together with those glorious discoveries where and in whom mans righteousnesse did lie Againe The errour that men needed not to looke to their walking and obedience seeing we are justified by faith only gave occasion to the discovery of many precious truths
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
this way and the other this and in both it may be the Scripture is silent or holds out as much for one as the other Now in this case why should there be falling out certainly diversities of opinion may be countenanced and yet without sin provided that it doth not arise either from ficklenesse unsetlednesse and inconstancy in us or from pride that we love to side and differ from others or that it doth not tend to make disturbance of the peace of the Churches of Christ But I am too long on this I will therefore conclude this second generall the ground of abounding errours and come to the third Q. 3. What are the grounds that so many are carried away And because this question doth fall in so much with the former question therefore I shall be short on it In briefe then I shall resolve all into these two generall grounds 1. Weaknesse 2. Wickednesse One incident to the godly the other proper to the wicked The first ground that men are carried away with errour it is weaknesse I will branch this into three particulars 1. Weaknesse of judgement which is the weaknesse of head There are many who though they have grace and good affections in them yet want knowledge they are babes in understanding they want judgement to examine and try opinions the things in controversie are above their fathom their line is too short and they want sufficiency of light to discerne of things that differ to distinguish between truth and errour there is a great deale of sophistry in errour there is the head of the serpent in it who was too subtile for our parents in innocency it may be an errour may be handed out to us by holy men and represented to us under faire specious and high pretexts and we our selves want wisedome or knowledge to see to the bottome of it and therfore embrace a shadow for substance an errour for truth 2. Want of stability though they have some knowledge yet they are not fixed and stablished in the truth there is a kind of lubricity and ficklenesse and inconstancie of spirit in men which the Apostle takes notice of and blames in Ephes 4.14 That we henceforth be no more children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse wherby they lie in wait to deceive too many who are of this temper like children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine It is a metaphor taken from a weather-cock which is carried about with every wind it stands this way now but it is because another wind blowes not they are not fixed and stablished in the truth There are many who are fixed and grounded in errour and too many who are unstable and unsetled in the truth which doth not meerely arise from want of knowledge but from want of stability They are of uncertaine and unconstant spirits that spirit which many men have in errour would be a precious spirit if it were joyned with the truth but to be stable in errour is a punishment and to be unsetled in truth is our sinne and yet how many who are fixed in the one and will boast of it I thanke God I am no changling when others are unstable in the truth I have sometimes thought what might be the ground of this inconstancy and instabability of spirit in those who yet are full of good affections And to let goe the naturall grounds which arise from the tempers of nature I have thought of these foure spirituall grounds 1. Want of knowledge they are but yet babes and children in knowledge and therfore may be unsetled according to the measure of knowledge such is the measure of setlednesse and stability of spirit if we knew perfectly we should never change but we know but in part and therfore being imperfect in knowledge we are also imperfect in our stability 2. Want of grace I say degrees of grace not truth and essence of grace this the Apostle sets downe Heb. 13.9 Be not carried with divers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace here was inconstancy in them what was the reason they had grace but were not stablished with grace they wanted such a measure as to stablish their hearts Grace will ballace the most unsetled heart it will fix the most unfixed spirit a little grace will so fix the heart as 1. It shall never entertaine any fundamentall errour 2. Nay he shall never make any errour his choice 3. Nay if he give way to any errour it is still under the notion of truth A little grace will doe this but there is required a greater measure of grace to stablish a man in the truth and to preserve a man that he shall not be led aside with any way of errour 3. Want of comfort may be another reason of instability It may be a man hath walked in these wayes and finds no comfort in them his heart is troubled he can get no peace and because they find not comfort in those wayes they expected they look for it in other wayes It is a sad thing for a soule to be without comfort As the body without the soule is dead so is the soule without comfort that which the soule is to the body comfort is to the soule and therefore men in the want of comfort are apt with the Bee to goe from flower to flower from one opinion to another if God keep them not upon this ground many have fallen to Popery because they could not get comfort upon the principles of our Religion which affords no comfort to them who would reserve their sins And upon the same ground men under troubles and wanting comfort they are apt to run from this opinion to that hoping in all to find comfort to their troubled spirits Like men sick of a Fever they think their disease is in their beds when it is in their bodies they think by shifting of beds to be ridd of their distemper when yet they carry the distemper with them yet some refreshment for present may come with change but certainly it is a great mercy and a wonder of mercy when men have long been in trouble and in want of comfort that God hath kept them and not suffered them to seek for comfort out of Gods way that he hath not suffered them to runne into any way of errour to find comfort that he hath given them patience to wait upon God in the wayes of obedience in his own way And rather to charge themselves then the way if they want comfort and surely the fault is at home either you are formall in your walking or you hold compliancie though you give not entertainment to some corruption or you give way to your own unbeliefe the doubtings and misgivings of your own spirit or God is willing to deny thee comfort for thy further exercise to quicken to humble to put
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
consonant to Gods minde or the main end of God in Scripture though there be not a particular place for it yet doubtlesse it is a truth there are many precious truths which yet would puzzle to finde a particular place upon which they may be fully established which yet agree with the generall drift and main end of God in the Scripture The great end of God in Scripture is to bring us out of our selves and to bring us up to him to render all the world emptinesse and discover fullnesse alone in himself to bring us to believe and close with Christ and give up our selves to him in waies of love and obedience and what ever doctrine doth truly serve for these ends what ever drives on this design is undoubtedly a truth though it be not contain'd in expresse words in Scripture And so much shall serve for the first Character by which many errours are struck down we come now to the second And Chara. 2 2. The second Character of truth is this That which doth really and truly advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God All truth as I told you was divine Revelation and it is the end of all divine revelation to advance and set up God in Christ it is the great design the great end which God doth aim at in all his Word-revelation to set up himself to advance the riches of his grace in Jesus Christ And therefore that which doth really and truely advance all God in Christ is certainly a truth of God For our better and clearer conception we must take this Character in pieces and shew you how it contains four conditions or there are four qualifications requisite to evidence any doctrine to be a truth of Christ 1. It must advance God 2. All God 3. All God in Christ. 4. It must doe all this really 1. Divine truth it doth advance God it sets up God and layes man low it raiseth up God upon the ruines of self and sin it makes God great and man little God all and man nothing it empties man of himself and makes him seek his fullnesse in God and that which doth thus hath a good evidence it is a truth of God Errour may advance the creature it may advance a mans self but it doth not advance God nay errour may seek God in the creature but it cannot seek it self in God it may give to the creature that which is Gods but not give to God that which is the creatures it may take from God to give to the creature but it doth not take from the creature to give to God And errour may lessen it self to make the creature great but it cannot make it self nothing to make God great you see this in Colos 2.18 Some in a voluntary humility did worship Angels here man lessens himself to make a creature great but he doth not make himself nothing to make God great Here he takes from himself and from God to give to a creature but he doth not take from the creature from himself to give unto God This is a genuine property of truth it advanceth God it makes God all and it self nothing it empties it self of it's self and seeks alone it's fulnesse in God that can be no truth that draws not up the heart to God and brings the soul to live in him as it 's utmost happinesse and that which doth thus must needs make all things little and God great and be content to lose it self in God and for God that it may finde it self in God Now if you should examine some opinions by this 1. There is an opinion that man hath ability to close with the tenders and offers of grace he hath power in his pure naturals to come over to Christ This opinion advanceth man but doth not advance God it sets up the will of man against the will of God it is an opinion against Word-revelation we are said to be dead in sin and dead men cannot move Christ tels us Without him we can doe nothing Joh. 15.5 2. Divine truth it advanceth all God 1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God 2. It doth advance the will of God 3. It doth advance the waies of God 1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God 1. The Wisdome of God 2. The Mercy 3. The Justice 4. The Power 5. The Immutability of God 6. The Holinesse of God There are some opinions which may seem to advance some of God but not all of God Some that may seem to advance his mercy but not his justice some his grace but not his holinesse some his power and his wisdome but not his truth that opinion which doth not advance the justice as well as mercy the holinesse as well as the grace of God certainly it is no truth of God God hath set himself to be wholly advanced in all his attributes and you doe not advance any of God if you doe not advance all of God To instance for illustration in a few particulars 1. Therâ— is an opinion that Christ came to save all here is an oâ—â—nion that doth advance the mercy but not the truth of God You know the Word tells us that he came to save them who shall believe in him now certainly if he came to save all then all believe but the Apostle tells us that all men have not faith therefore surely the death of Christ is no further to be extended then his prayer and his prayer is not for all as you may see Joh. 17.9 Joh. 17.9 I pray not for the world but for them thou hast given me 2. So secondly there is an opinion that Christ merited no love or mercy at his Fathers hands for us God loved us from everlasting and say they How can Christ be said to merit that which we had already Now would you know whether this is a truth or an errour You may examine it by this see doth it advance all God indeed this doth advance the love the mercy of God but not the justice of God it is indeed a wrong to his justice for Gods justice is no way advanced unlesse there be satisfaction made to it all the mercy that God bestows on sinfull men it is in relation to his precedent satisfaction Eph. 4.13 hence Christ is said to bear sinne to satisfie for sin c. and God for Christs sake is said to pardon sinne Ephes 4.32 3. There is an opinion that the Saints may fall from grace and they say this opinion doth much advance Gods justice but how that can be I cannot discern when I see it so evidently contrary to his truth to his promise and covenant he hath made with us as you see Jer. 32.40 certainly though the life of a Christian be a secret life it is hid yet it is a safe life it is hid in Christ Besides these there are many opinions which would seem to advance the grace of Christ and the mercy of
God which yet are enemies to the justice and holinesse of God Certainly faith and holinesse ever goe together even as heat and light in the Sunne c. And that opinion which doth not advance all God is certainly an errour If you single out some attributeâ— â—nd tell us this or that opinion is for the glorie of them if yet it be inconsistent with other attributes of God certainly it is no truth of God All divine truth hath not only a consistency with but tends to the advancement of every attribute of God That a man should be justified and saved by Christ here is the grand truth and here all the attributes of God meet here is wisdome mercy justice truth power grace holinesse all meet in this as lines in the Center as beams in the Sunne as Rivers in the Sea God and all God is advanced in the justification and salvation of poor miserable man So much for the first 2. As truth doth advance the nature and attributes of God so it doth advance the will of God by this doth Christ evidence that his words were true Joh. 5.30 Therefore my judgement is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me If Christ who was truth essentiall doth evidence the truth of his Doctrine thus how much more may we evidence the doctrine of truth by this that it advanceth the will of God It sets up Gods will above the will of the creature it sets up his revealed will above all the authorities of men above all traditions what ever Now if we should examine opinions by this 1. There is an opinion that man hath freedom of will to spirituall good Is this a truth yea or no Why here you may be satisfied this tells you it is an errour because it advanceth not the will of God but the will of man I say it advanceth mans will but not the will of God it is a doctrin overthrows all the counsels of God if this were so where were election reprobation then the will of the creature should rule the will of God And as this opinion is contrary to Gods secret so this opinion is repugnant to the revealed will of God he tells us that it is God that worketh the will and the deed and that without him we can doe nothing that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So that this opinion is opposite both to Gods secret and his revealed will both to his decree and to his Word 3. Divine truth as it advanceth the attributes the will of God so it doth advance the waies of God It advanceth obedience exact obedience it advanceth duty and exactnesse in duty though it set not duty above Christ nor in opposition to Christ though it set not up obedience above faith nor in opposition to faith yet it advanceth duty in Christ and obedience with faith the obedience of faith justifies our persons but the obedience from faith doth justifie our faith There are many opinions which cry up grace but de-cry holines that advance faith but cry downe obedience that set up Christ but cry downe the Law Indeed we all cry them downe in opposition to Christ and grace but we set them up in subordination And indeed there is a sweet subordination between the Law and the Gospell Christ and obedience The Law sends us to the Gospel and the Gospel having justified us sends us to the Law as the rule of our obedience I say the Law sends us to the Gospel for it cannot justify it cannot save Indeed it saith Doe this and live But not that we should doe and live by doing for God hath appointed another way but it saith Do this and live to empty us of our selves and bring us over to the Gospel that we might live and doe There may be a fault to put men to doing before they put them to beleeving or to put them to doe that they may be enabled to beleeve for faith is the rise and spring of action all action must begin from faith and by faith we are enabled to obey as it was said of Abraham Heb. 11. by faith Abraham obeyed and we are said to be created in Christ to good works there can be no doing without strength no strength but from Christ nothing from Christ but by union no union but by faith therefore the Apostle saith He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life all which seemes to speake plainly that it is no good way to turne men to obeying before they put men to beleeving nor to put men to obeying that they may be enabled to beleeving But yet though we are not to put men to duty to enable them by any power in those duties to beleeve yet may we must we put men upon faith to enable them to obey though we may not substitute faith to obedience yet we ought to substitute obedience to faith And indeed it is the noblest piece of faith that it doth enable us to service The excellency of faith is not in this only that it justifies us but puts us into a capacity and gives us ability to serve God And he that lookes not upon faith as that wherein it 's excellency doth greatly consist that it doth enable us to duty that it strengthens us to service he doth not yet know what Christ and faith is he hath only a faith in notion but knows not faith in truth and power And so much for the second divine truth it advanceth all God the nature and attributes of God the will of God the wayes of God We come to the third Thirdly It doth all this in Christ I say divine truth it advanceth all God in Christ God hath set himselfe to be advanced and glorious to the creature to all eternity but in Christ Indeed all God is no other way to be advanced but in Christ nor hath God set himselfe to be wholly advanced any other way of the creature but in Christ Something of God is to be seen in every creature and something of God to be advanced in them much of God is to be seen and advanced in the whole creation the Heavens they declare the wisedome the power of God and he sets himselfe to be advanced in them the law declares the justice holines of God But now Christ declares all God you may see God in all his dimensions of glory in Christ In him hath God set himselfe to be visible in all his glory to the Saints In him dwels all the fulnes of the godhead bodily fulnes all fulnes all the fulnes of the godhead and all this dwells in him it is in him primarily originally it is in him as the proprietary as the Lord and master to dispose of it c. It is in him perpetually there it dwells and dwells for ever And in Christ hath God set himselfe to be seen in all his
they might no doubt have done more if their own wills had not stood in their way We cannot say the first Daven ad frat com adhort p. 3 4. hitherto our endeavours in this kinde have not been so prosperous and succesfull And it speaks sadly to us if all waies of union shall become means of disunion if all waies of agreement shall beget matter of strife if all reasons for accord shall prove but arguments of further distance and if our very pursuits of peace and accommodation do set us farther from it and render our agreements more difficult more impossible This is a sad omen So that it is our misery we cannot say the first and I am perswaded it were our sin to say the second It cannot but be imagined that all parties know how scandalous how dangerous destructive our divisions are and how sweet how desirable and beneficiall both to our selves and others who love us our union and agreements would be therefore it cannot in charity be imagined that our differences are lengthened because we have no minde to conclude them What worldly thing is it that can compensate or ballance such an evil as this Pax una tryumphis Innumeris potior Agreement in it self alone is more to be valued then the triumphs and trophies of strife but is not here our misery do we not stumble in the threshold do we not in the very entrance or first lancing forth into this mare pacificuÌ„ cumber our beginings with needles remoraâ—â— and split our selves upon the rocks of unnecessary disputes which blast all our hopefull beginings retard us in our way ends in nothing but sâ—rrow and fâ—rther divisione 2. A second thing to be looked after is To conclude and establish our agreements We dâ—ffer in some things but we agree in more what is there asserted by one in point of doctrine but is as zealously maintained by the other and for matter of government though in some things we dâ—ffer yet in many things we do agree It were a good step towards this desired accommodation to conclude and publiâ—h our agreements that as men have taken notice of our differences which by too much artifice hath been rendered and so apprehended wider then in truth it is so they might take notice of our agreements also and be comforted in the one as they are troubled for the other And it cannot but be wondered at that we hear so much of the one and no more of the other Indeed it is a work requiring an abler pen but it is well-worthy the best endeavours of the eminentest sons of men it being a better work to unite then to divide to build then to pull down and to heal differences then to inlarge and increase them 3. A third thing to be endeavoured is To accâ—mmodate our difference of which we may say as one said of the divisions among the Protestant Churches Europae speculum p. 173. That unlesse God did stirre up some and clothe them with a mighty spirit for this work the end of them may be that our enemies will laugh when we shall weep And indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for these things It is easier to lay down accommodating motives then accommodating media's We have accommodating motives enough and enough of them And I am confident there is not want of accommodating graces both parties are replenished with love with humility with self denial Here is fire and wood but where is the lamb O that we could say with the same fulnesse of perswasion Deus providebit or God will provide or God will discover mediums of his own to soader us together This we breathe after certainly none but he can and we are now within the ken of it Two things would hid fair for it if not wholly accomplish this desired accommodation 1. To settle the power of particular Congregations 2. To allay the jurisdiction of Synods In the first there was a great agreement and if God would but clear up the second all other differences would fall in with them It is our work to be mighty with God that he would shew the might of his own grace to make all difficulties easie and rough things plain That the glory of the Lord might be revealed And let me breathe out the desires and travels of my soul in the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of the Lord Iesus that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you and that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement To which let me add what the Apostle saith by way of argument to it Ephes 4.4 5 6 We are one body have one spirit one calling one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all Oh that we should be one in so much and two for so little I will conclude all with that vehement exhortation of the Apostle Rhetorick above withstanding Phil. 2.1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fuâ—fill you my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde And the God of peace direct our hearts into the waies of all truth love and pâ—aâ—e FINIS