A GUIDE TO THE True Religion OR A DISCOURSE Directing to make a wise CHOICE of that Religion Men venture their Salvation upon Seasonable for these Times wherein there are such Diversities of Opinions and wayes of Religion To inform the Ignorant to resolve the Wavering and to confirm the Weak By I. C. M. A. of T. C. C. Josh 24.15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord Chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods But as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. EDINBVRGH Printed by Andrew Anderson and are to be sold at his House on the North side of the Cross Anno 1669. A Premonition to the Reader shewing the occasion and intendment of the Discourse Courteous Reader THere is no good Christian but is ready upon all just occasions to express his sad resentment of the wofull Divisions and dangerous Errors wherewith the Churches of Christ in these Kingdoms have been for many years past and still are so distracted for notwithstanding that our civill Wars are through the mercy of God endid yet our Religious jars and rents are not healed Indeed how can any pious Soul consider the great dishonour done thereby to the Holy Name of God the reproach to the Christian Religion the great scandal to those sometimes famous Churches which are now hereby become infamous through the World yea the apparent ruine threatned by these things and not break out into sad lamentation for the same Surely this 〈◊〉 a Lamentaion and shall be for a Lamentation And although the serious consideration of those evils in order to the repairing and healing of them and the preventing the publick ruine threatned to the Church and State thereby belongeth to the wisedome and zeal of those that be in place of eminency and are vested with power and authority requisite thereunto yet Private Christians in a lower station and capacity cannot but have their eyes upon the sad influence those â—â—ings have upon their dearest Friends and Neighbours with whom they converse and in their behalf meditate upon some remedy for the same Certain it is that the malignant influence these things have on the common sort is very sad whilst gazing on those sad contesting matters of Religion Some continue meer Scepticks ever wavering and not knowing what way of Religion to chuse and so neglect to be of any Some are professed Atheists or profane Wretches Others be seduced into dangerous Errors as Popery Socinianism Quakerism c. Many ingage in contentions they know not why nor for what And the greatest part of Christians wofully stumbled in their Profession The intendment of these Papers is to propose some help against those evils and to guide and direct those that are apt to miscarry through occasion of the diversities of Opinions and wayes found a mongst us Wherein they are first excited to make a wise Choice of that Religion they venture their Eternal Salvation upon and are informed how to do it Indeavours are used to fix and establish them in the truth of the Christian Religion and to acquaint them with the great and Fundamental Doctrines and Duties threrof necessary unto Salvation which have been owned by all Christians and Churches in all places and ages and to perswade to believe and obey them as that whereupon their eternal safety depends Then our discourse descends to points of a secondary and inferior Nature that are controverted amongst wise and godly Christians and directions are laid down how to find out the right and safe way for Faith and practice in such things especially when we are necessitated to hold forth a profession of our selves therein Wherewith is shewed also what tendernesse and respect is to be used toward those that differ from us in those things whilst in the mean time we carry it at a greater distance with those that err fundementally and subvert the Christian Faith and Religion All which counsels being evidenced to be good and wholsome will manifestly declare Those to be the most approved and judicious Christians who under all those great changes and revolutions which have been amongst us of latter times have especially exercised their zeal for the maintaining of the Fundament all Doctrines of the Gospel and the practice and power of Godlinesse as also for the preserving the peace of the Church and love and union amongst Christians whilst in the mean time they have shewed greatest moderation and condescension towards those that differ in controverted Points of a lower Nature even to a degree of complyance also with the stream of the times in some things which seem in themselves less desireable and inconvenient provided in their Consciences they judge them not to be sinful if conducing to the furtherance of the Gospel the peace of the Churches and Salvation of Souls Indeed this will be judged by some rash and censorious Spirits to be Hypocrisie Time-serving er self-seeking and such persons may be branded for Temporizers Turn-coats or Apostates or what not but when things shall be considered in calmness and Sobriety Such will be found the greatest friends of Christ and the Christian Religion and such actions most consonant to Scripture commands and to the examples of the Saints recorded therein whereas such as are found departing from any Fundamental and generally confessed points of faith or Practice These imputations may be more warrantably charged upon them Reader Let these sad and wofull differences errours and debates provoke thee to examine the grounds thy profession is built upon to study more the verity and excellency of the Christian Religion and be better established therein to understand believe love and obey the great and necessary Principles thereof humbly to seek of God the discovery of his mind in things more dark and controverted and to exercise more Christian love and charity those that are not of the same perswasion or practice with thee therein And then thou wilt be secured from the danger of those evils yea they will prove advantagious to thy greatest good although intended by Satan for thy hurt To help thee herein is the intendment and designe of this discourse in order whereunto the blessing of the Lord is humbly implored to go along with the same THE CONTENTS OF The severall CHAPTERS CHAP. 1. REligion the grand concernment of Man in this World Great differences about it Necessity of a wise and deliberate chusing ones Religion A proposition laid down which is the Subject matter of the following Discourse Page 1. CHAP. 2. Shewing wherein this wise Chusing ones Religion stands and what Acts concurr thereunto Page 5. CHAP. 3. Considerations evidencing it a principal Point of wisdome for a Man to make a right Choice of that Religion he professes in the World and ventures his Eternal Salvation upon Page 13 CHAP. 4. Wherein the Practice of this Duty is insisted upon and Directions given how to chuse the true Religion amongst so many as are in the World All other Religions being
Mass Book the truth is this there are several Prayers of Antient Fathers used before Popery was in the World which the Papists corrupting and abusing in their Mass our first Reformers purged out what corruptions the Papists had brought in and did retain those antient Prayers according to their Primitive Institution All this will be readily acknowledged by them that judging this book unnecessary and inconvenient do desire a Reformation therein and is there any thing in all this that shall so affright good Christians out of the Church Concerning the charge of Antichristianism it is so common a word in the mouths of all that list to rayle that it s no scandal to any till the thing be fully proved if Bishops and Ministers c. be judged by any to be Anti-Christian I shal send them to that most excellent piece of Dr. Moore his Mystery of Iniquity where they may see the Idea of Anti-Christianism opened and thence be informed whom this censure best befits IV. Take heed of pretending to greater purity and strictness about Church Communion and Administrations then the Word of God commends or the examples of Christ and the Apostles and the Primitive Church do commend nor be so extremely rigid as not to bear with things that they have Tolerated It is an observable rule laid down by wise and eminent Divines that too much strictnesse and severity often doth injury the Church more then profite it it s the way to overturn Churches not to reform them especially this severity is unbecoming private Christians who having no Authority yet complain such persons and such things are defilements they must separate from them they must not touch the unclean thing such should take heed that they be not righteous over much and not dare to be wise above what is written lest their too much affected purity and misguided zeal hurt more the Church of Christ and their own Souls then the corruptions they so much complain of Calvin adv Anab. Art 2. Cum sub specie studii perfectionis imperfectionem nulam tollerare possumus tune Diabolum nos tumefacere superbia et hypocrisi seducere moneamur V. Have publick Spirits and look not so much on such things as are most desirable in your eyes and conduce to your interest as on what tends to the furtherance of the Gospel and the good of the Church in generall There have been very few in our unhappie dayes but have been so eagerly contending for their private opinions and wayes that the publick interest of the Christian Religion and of the Churches peace and welfare hath been almost forgotten by them from whence have come in such an inundation of Errours Heresies Profanenesse and Atheism that the Church hath been almost ruined thereby In vain do we contend about the greater purity and perfection of the Christian Religion when the verie being and life of it by our contentions and divisions is indangered what will become of our contests for greater reformation in Discipline Worship c. If the Christian Religion it self be lost They are the best and wisest Christians that have most indeavoured that the main Fundamental Doctrines and duties of Religion may be preserved though in the mean time they yield in small matters that concern the beautie and perfection thereof waiting in a wise and peaceable manner til the Lord will grant them their desires therein also in his own way and time VI. Take heed of running into manifest sin and evil upon fears of what is only supposed to be so viz. Of casting off Ordinances neglecting of the publick Worship of God breach of the peace of the Church c. Upon pretence of supposed evils in Communion The commands of God for his Worship and Ordinances the Church peace are clear and cogent the matters excepted against are dark and disputable points of controversie and the far greater part of the Churches of Christ on earth have approved of them therefore be afraid while you would shun an evil supposed you run not into another that is a real and far greater evil A truly tender conscience should fear evil on either hand and on this side rather then that VII Charge not on your selves other mens sins but look to your own wayes and duties If you judge Superiors to sin in their impositions or Bishops in any Command or Ministers in their Conformity if you find sin in laxnesse of Discipline in loose admissions to the Ordinances c. It 's not your sin who still Communicate in the Ordinances of Christ provided you do your parts and Office It were sad living in any Church in the World if the sins of others should be charged on such as have neither calling not power to reform them fitter it is by far to mourn and pray for Redressing of such evils then to run out of the Church for them VIII Take heed of that great and common mistake that nothing is to be admitted in and about the government and administration of the Church of Christ in the least Circumstantials thereof but what is particularly and clearly held forth in the Scriptures This mistake hath occasioned many needless scruples in the minds of weak Christians and much promoted groundlesse separation It is a Rule laid down by a whole Assemblie of Divines Assem Conf. of Faith c 1. many of them not much affected to the present establishment That there are some circumstances concerning the Worship of God and Government of the Church common to humane actions and Societies which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence according to the general Rules of the Word And the same is practised among all those that are most averse to the communion of the Church of England who retain amongst themselves many things that they can produce little true-Scripture-proofs for but only practise them prudentially as best conducing to the welfare of their Churches and as they judge to the Order of Gods Worship therein and some have ingeniously acknowledged as much If you search the Scriptures impartiallie concerning Church-government you will finde therein little besides the main Essentials of it as that the Church is to be Governed and that by its proper Officers and directions how they should be qualified and set apart for their Office what the severall duties belonging to their Office are and some general directions about the management thereof All which may sute with the several forms of Government that have been competitors amongst us wherein the power of Christs Officers is further extended or more restrained Stillingf iren pt 2. c 4. c 8. wherein some act in a superior others ina coordinate way and therefore very many learned and godly men have judged that no one form of government was prescribed as necessary in the Church but it 's left to be suted to the condition of those Kingdoms and Nations where the Church shall be planted The like may be said concerning Gospel Worship The main
duties and Ordinances of it are prescribed and those things wherein the Essence of them stands are more fully and clearly expressed but their circumstances and manner of performance are only couched under general Rules This may be shewed abundantly by instances in the several parts of Worship as Prayer Preaching Sacraments c but it is done by others sully and must be omitted here because of the brevity of these Rules Nor doth this derogate from the sufficiency of the Scriptures nor argue want of wisdome and faithfulnesse in Christ as some plead if he should not prescribe every Particular as Moses did even to the Pinns of the Tabernacle for the Scriptures are sufficient for that end God gave them to make wise to Salvation and in order thereunto to instruct us in all necessarie points of Faith and Practice and for Church-government and Worship there 's enough in these Essentials laid down in Scripture for the preserving the welfare of the Church in the World and securing of the true and pure Worship of God among men those being duly observed And wherein then are the Scriptures to be argued of insufficiencie if they leave some particular circumstances undetermined And for the charge of unfaithfulnesse in Jesus Christ if he should not particularize those things it 's strangely presumptuous Such should rather shew where Christ hath particularly determined all those circumstances then impute unfaithfulnesse unto him if he do not what they wold have to be done There is not the like Reason to determine all circumstances in the Christian Churches as was in the Jewish Church the one being in its Minority the other grown up to a state of greater libertie and perfection Gal. 4 1 2 3 4 5 10. A Boy that goeth to School hath his Lesson set him and in every particular he is stinted to his work but when he goes to the Universitie he only hears Lectures hath general Rules for his study and is left to his own disposition for order and manner of his studies Besides the Jewish Church was confined to one Nation that had its civil government and Laws from God as wel as its Church instiutions but the Christian Church being to spread throughout the World under different civil governments different circumstances might best sute with the state and condition of different People IX Take heed of Resisting the ordinances of God whilst you profess to oppose the institutions of Men. My meaning is whilst you withstand humane inventions as you suppose them in the Worship of God beware you oppose not lawfull Authority which is the Ordinance of God in what they injoin in and about the Worship of God according to the power given them of the Lord. That Magistrates have the care of the Churches in their Dominions committed to them should see to the due administration of the Worship and Ordinances of God therein as well as to the outward peace and prosperitie of the civil State may be manifest to all that are willing to see it by the laudable examples of godly Kings in former times such as David Solomon Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah c. Whose chiefest care was about Religion and the Worship of God in their Dominions Indeed they are not to make any new institutions of Worship nor alter any thing that is particularlie injoyned in the Word of God But they are to see that all things be administred according to the same And in the particular circumstances undetermined by God they have a power to order and settle things according to the generall Rules laid down in the Word and however you plead you are not to be the Servants of Men you must be therein subject to them in the Lord. It hath been a Notion taken up by some That as in former times the Saints have suffered in giving Testimony to the priestly Office of Jesus Christ so they must bear witness to his Kingly Office what ever they suffer and not yield to any Commandments of men in and about the Worship of God But let such take heed that they oppose not his Kingly Office when they seem to stand up for it For if Magistrates and Rulers be his Vice-gerents as certainly they are and there is a care of his Worship delegated unto them and some power for ordering affairs in his Church in matters of outward conveniency and order where he hath not expresly determined in withstanding them in such things they may resist Jesus Christ himself Indeed it may be a further Scruple in case Magistrates injoyning things inexpedient and inconvenient and so swerve from those general Rules that they are to go by whether they are to yeeld to them in such things or no But if the judgement of Non-Conformists may be taken herein Baxt. five Disp p. 460 c. they determine in such cases it's better to obey then to withstand they may sin in commanding such things and yet subjects not sin in obeying them when commanded they are Judges in such particular cases to determine what is expedient as the Word of God determines what is necessary and herein they follow the judgment of Calvin Ep. 379 which have been ever approved by them who speaking of things of this Nature Saith some things neither right nor profitable but scandalous and drawing evil Consequences with them yet not being repugnant to the word in any express determination of it must be borne of the godly Brethren when they cannot help it and the Churches of Christ not forsaken And indeed if this should not be admitted but so often as any shall judge such or such matters inexpedient they might withstand the Axe seems to be laid at the roots of all government and there wold be little order in the Churches of Christ There is no society in the World but a yielding in some things is necessary for the peace and welfare of that Society X. Let not any principles or practices that you have inconsideratly taken up so far ingage you as to make you loath to teturn to wayes of Truth and soberness Some have it may be unwillingly and with reluctancy only through the violence of some of their own party been led into the wayes of rigid separation to condemn all other Churches but their own however sound in all the main Fundamental and necessary Doctrines and duties of Christianity and to refuse any Communion with them though this hath been condemned by the most wise and knowing â—o their own profession T. G. Mr. Cotton stiled by some the bitter root of separation the way God nere blest with peace and holiness c. And now to return to wayes of sobriety and own such as they have formerly so hotly contended against they know not how to do it There is naturally in man a tenaciousnesse of those wayes and opinions they have once professed that they are loath to recede from them especially if they have contended for them this is a great piece of denyal Men would rather yeeld