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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	reason_n	scripture_n	true_a	4,399	5	4.9695	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92845	A sermon, preached at St. Marie's in the University of Cambridge May 1st, 1653. Or, An essay to the discovery of the spirit of enthusiasme and pretended inspiration, that disturbs and strikes at the universities: by Joseph Sedgwick, Mr. of Arts, and Fellow of Christs Coll: in the University of Cambridge. Together with an appendix, wherein Mr. Del's Stumblingstone is briefly repli'd unto: and a fuller discourse of the use of universities and learning upon an ecclesiasticall account, submitted by the same authour to the judgement of every impartial and rational Christian.	Sedgwick, Joseph, 1628-1702.	1653 (1653)	Wing S2362; Thomason E699_2; Thomason E699_3; ESTC R510	26,942	31

him with Kingly abilities Yet is this a warrant to chuse Governours of the meanest condition and knowledge because God is able to give them the spirit of Wisdome and Government That miraculous gifts are ceased for ought I can heare is yet very palpable Amongst us that are Christians two reasons may be given First unbelief is ceased The Faith of the Gospel is become a presupposition to our preaching people being instructed in it from their youth and the primitive miracles are generally embraced for true Secondly there is plentifull provision in the ordinary providence of God and then I know no ground for any faith to expect a miraculous supply Suppose any of our Adversaries preach to Welchmen being themselves English Do not they learne the language Yet there was the gift of Tongues Whether this were a permanent gift or no I enquire not If not the Apostles sure used humane industry when they preached to people of another language Healing was a gift yet I hope a Christian may study Physick Then for Heathens Miracles being requisite for a testimony to them consider that there is rationall morall evidence for the Gospel-truth and Christianity comes not with that disadvantage being a religion of a great part of the World Miracles beside being then necessary the more for the inconsiderablenesse of the Revealers in their persons and the paucity of the Professours a few contemptible men in outward appearance contradicting all the rest of the World I shall only adde 1. That a great part of the Apostles knowledge was by attendance upon Christ and converse with him and from his expounding the Scriptures after his resurrection i. e. in a way of humane diligence and industry 2. Where ever God found gifts he made use of them as in S. Paul without any superfluous repeating the same by extraordinary endowments which further proves that the primitive gifts were many of them for a supply to the Apostles illiterate education who though called in Ignorance were sent out with the reality and eminency of Learned Accomplishments 6. What Learning S. Paul speaks against is condemned by Learning it self Philosophy or the then-Philosophy opposed Reason as well as the Gospel The place of Col. 2. answers it self Philosophy according to the traditions of men and the principles of the World the Philosophy of the Sects Philosophicall quirks subtilties and ungrounded dreams and fancies concerning Angels and the like is nothing to genuine Philosophy proceeding upon true principles of nature i. e. God's discovery of himself to our understandings by the light of Reason and works of Creation The Sophisticall captious and wrangling deceit this that is called Philosophy but indeed was vain deceit is as much declaimed against by the sober Philosophers of the same Age. Nay what better morall provision in pursuance of the Apostles caution not to be deceived by vain Philosophicall deceit then for Ministers to be well able to discover to people the cunning Sophistry and delusion of men that thus delight to lead captive the multitude Then for the glarous painted and ranting Rhetorick of those times if used in the matters of God it offends against the main principle of Rhetorick to keep a decorum and speak suteably to the matter Lofty towrings of fancy fawning words and vainly-garnish'd expressions neither fitting the capacity of a popular audience nor becoming the Majesty of a God and the nobility of Divine revelation Yet true raisedness of expression a majesticall state and artificiall and genuine insinuations with most patheticall captivatings of the minde are obvious in Scripture as obvious as fantasticall cloud-reachings are affectedly frequent in our new Formalists Enthusiasm who are truly those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2 Pet. 2. 18. 7. All Learning is advantageous a great deal necessary to an able publisher of the Truth and Governour of the Church Tongues and the gift of Interpretation and Utterance with skill to collect from Scripture easily speak their necessity Observe here there are some things common to a Minister and secular employments and to this no wonder if secular and humane abilities be necessary Thus to be able to speak aptly intelligibly consequently and suteably to the disposition and capacity of his hearers is the Apostolicall way of preaching and yet it is the method of secular Oratory Dependance of Truth upon Truth Conclusions upon Principles is discoverable in Scripture revelation and is of the same nature that is in other Sciences proceeding in the way of naturall light acting upon and in revealed Truth Scripture is writing and Scripture-interpretation proceeds by the generall rules of interpretation of Authours with whom it partakes likewise in Language and helps to understand the sense For my part I know no one piece of true and reall whether solid or delightfull Learning that hath not considerable advantage in it to the rendering a Minister more able to understand explain and confirm the truth of Christian Religion To be able to search into the true and naturall sense of Apostolicall writings to discern the excellency consonancy and true authenticknesse of Scripture to examine and draw consequences from it to see the agreement of reason and revelation to view the appearances of God amongst the Heathen their self-condemnednesse attestations to part of truth and defectivenesse to take notice of God in the Creation and distinguish miracles from impostures to observe God's Providence in the World and Church to see the severall breakings forth of light and overcastings of darknesse in the Church to make out the Truth by full evidence to explain and order the several Truths of revelation and have a distinct and more then popular notion of them so as to be able to answer Atheisticall and unbelieving cavills to converse with Christians in all Ages and make use of their experiences and discoveries to know God our selves and men in order to a convenient application of our selves unto them for their good these are some of the ends of Learning that thus and otherwise enlarges quickens and imbetters the naturall faculties of the Soul And if all this contains any thing of usefulnesse to a Minister of the Gospel we may safely adde that Conclusion IV. The Universities or places that offer opportunity advantages and encouragement to humane Learning and that conjoined with and subservient to Divinity are so farr from being Antichristian that they are of apparent necessity to the Church of Christ And truly weigh but the concernment of Christian Religion to the peace and happinesse of a Nation there can be to say no more no greater prudence in a Magistrate much more if professing eminency in Christian Religion then to lay it self out in all just and lawfull means for the conserving and propagating of it encouraging and helping forward those who devote their time and studies to be thus serviceable to their Countrey I shall answer but two objections 1. The Idlenesse and Luxury of the University 2. The diversity of Opinions and Errours To the First It is no great wonder if in these times of Liberty when the authority and discipline of the University hath been weakned by some such spirits amongst us as our Adversaries when Learning seems to most to be in so despairing a condition not much wonder if there be some miscarriages in so great confluence of Youth which is very seldome considerate and hath hot bloud to suppresse But I call all that know Cambridge and I question not but others can testifie as much for Oxford all that judge by nothing of faction and prejudice that there is no collection of men this day in England that can shew more eminent examples of true Worth reall sober Piety and Religion then are in our University Nor are the enormities so many or so unsuppress'd by discipline as discontent and malice would bear the World in belief To the Second I wondered to hear such an argument You Scholars cannot agree in the truth Ergo what need Universities It is a strange accusation that we are a Society of Men. We confesse we seek after truth and if we erre it is because we are fallible Nay that we differ is an argument that we set our selves to seek the truth and not lazily conspire in that which for ought we can tell certainly may be absolute falsehood which is all I doubt a perfect unity of opinion will amount to till it be the fruit of an universall infallibility of spirit Rather the ingenuity of an indifferent and free enquiry into Truth is true Noblenesse I am sure it is the likeliest way to discover Truth to have contrary opinions debated here where there are men able to see how farre each agree with other and how much they differ and to examine each other's grounds Learning too having civiliz'd their spirits to calme and moderate debates without any thing of that passionate heart-burning and inveteratenesse which accompanies dispute among common people I am sure the enemies of Learning are at a farre greater distance bateing their joint-persecuting of the Ministery and Scholars We can pitty them but not fear them whilest next to the Providence of God with thankfull acknowledgement of our protection we dare commit our selves fully to the dispose of our wise and worthy Governours appealing in the mean time for the usefulnesse of our Universities in the present constitution to all whom Avarice Envy or Fanatick Frenzy have not perfectly blinded FINIS

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LEARNING'S NECESSITY TO AN ABLE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL By JOSEPH SEDGWICK Mr. of Arts and Fellow of Christs Coll in the UNIVERSITY of Cambridge LONDON Printed by R. D. for EDWARD STORY Bookseller in CAMBRIDGE An. Do. 1653. Dignissimo D o Procancellario Collegiorum Praefectis Reverendis Sociis eorundem doctissimis Iuventuti Nobili Generosae doctae ingenuae Academiae Cantabrigiensi Quam Ecclesia Anglicana Matrem agnoscit foecundam piamque Filiam Resp Anglicana subditam simul sentit atque etiam Rectricem Dum in Alumnis assidet Reip. Gubernaculo Dudum denique Orbis Christianus partim reveritus est Sociam partim metuit Adversariam Cui cum Sorore celeberrima Veritatem Ecclesia Consilium Politia Lucem omnem Celebritatem omnem Vniversa adeò Anglia unicè refert acceptam Quam Majorum per aliquot secula Pietas munificentia Alumnorum ab omni penè hominum memoria sinceritas Eruditio Exteris exhibuerunt planè invidendam Reip. studiosis in pretio summo habendam Et Quod seculo degeneri poscunt contendunt Fanatici Avarae Ignorantiae nisi Deus coelitùs obnunciaverit diripiendam In qua Quod verè culpent nil reperiunt obtrectatores Monitricibus etiam Avaritia Invidia Inscitia Praeter hodiernam Academicorum scientiam eximiam Fundatorum liberalitatem Crimen est Academicis nil aliud quàm quod Ditescere videantur Sapere supra quod par est Ministris si Deo placet Evangelicis Quam à vero crimine securam praestitit innocentia A rapina sacrilegorum Dei hactenus Sospitatoris Tutela Malevolorum vero diris calumniis ipsa exposuit Integritas Eorum inquam Quibus Ignorare est Sanctitatis principium Quaeque sequitur Conclusio Reip. Ecclesiae pernicies Qui per spississimam totius Ecclesiae caliginem tendendum clamant ad lucem Evangelicam Dei Regno in tenebris constituto Nimirum Vt nocte illa tecti dum coelum rapere videri cupiunt diripiant terr●na Immerito Academiae vitio vertitur talium negligentia Nam Mater Academia non creat non violenter ingerit Sed volentibus excolit ingenia Et Hos etiam quod inse erat voluit illa fuisse doctos Eidem Matri Almae aeternitatem apprecans In eadem Viris pietate gravitate rerum divinarum humanarumque scientia conspicuis Juvenibus Majorum splendore suo candore spe omnium Beatissimis Quos calumniarum impudentissimarum in elenchum Operi praefigit Se Suaque L. M. D. D. C. J. S. C. C. To the Judicious and Ingenuous READER IT is a strange Subject Reader and in a sober World it would be a ridiculous commendation of all-acknowledged Worth But that Unreasonableness will never receive satisfaction and Errour will be alwayes talkative and extraordinarily self-conceited if it fancy it hath put all men to silence former Discourses might have made this present altogether groundless and unseasonable I suppose when Ignorance hath had the impudence to outbrave a whole University and seemed to plead that its Ingratitude and Turbulency can shew the warrant of Divine Inspiration I suppose I say now gratitude to the place where I have received a great part of mine education might have been a Scholar able to unty as knotty objections as the enemies of Learning can propose and a just discovery of counterfeit Revelation may be sufficient warrant for this trial of your patience I think printing now needs no excusatory preface Since I hinder no body from doing the same work more substantially nor desire any one to read that hath any thing else to doe or can tell how handsomely to be idle I shall give no other account of the present undertaking but that it came into my thoughts and yet I do not fancy any extraordinary special motion though it ran a pretty while in my head and why may not I go along with so great a croud for noveltie's sake If any read it and dislike all or any piece of it it is two to one but I should be of his mind if I were acquainted with his reasons For when all is done let men talk what they will Reason is an excellent thing if a man can hit on it Of all things I can least indure Enthusiasme unlesse it be in brave lofty and Romantick lines Then methinks it sounds rarely and turned into Latine Verse might be bound up with Ovid's Metamorphosis Else I have no patience to heare in plaine English and sober sadness God made the Authour of lies These pretenders to the Spirit should not in justice trouble the World with their wild conceptions till they can speak sense and make out their Positions rationally or shew miracles And then I shall admire though I be not able to understand what till then I must looke upon as calling in Heaven only to help at a dead lift and to salve over the weakness and falshood which they are conscious of unlesse by a strange spirit of delusion they can think God can be the Authour and discoverer of Trifles Till then I shall be bold to esteeme it no better then non-sense And Reader if you find any such here I confesse it is humane I guesse it is not the first you ever have read Nor is it so great a fault but I dare own the effect of humane frailty Only I am certaine I intended it for sense And this is all I can commend the Anthour or the Work for that he is a well-meaner and that this is the sincerely-intended and thankfull and dutifull endeavour of one that is An hearty honourer of Learning and true Worth where-ever he meets it J. S. Of the Use of LEARNING to the MINISTERY I Never heard of any that made it a mere If whither the Universities might be improved to a publick Civil advantage but some that knew little what belong'd to good breeding and ingenuous education that scarce remembred that Man was a creature indued with Reason and had faculties higher then corporeall Men that could not so much as see that Government and civill Society require much refinednesse of parts and are exceedingly advanced by whatever betters restores the soul to any measure of its due perfection I would none would adventure before they understood the terms to passe sentence upon their connexion Sure Languages Physick and the Mathematicks are more for the vain-glory and empty splendour of the Nation and Civil law must be of use till commerce cease or all other nations be modell'd into the English form and Constitution It may be easily discerned by all judicious and ingenuous observers that a great part of the conveniences of this life and necessaries to mutuall converse do owe their invention and perfection to the idlenesse and luxury of the lazy scholars as some are pleased opprobriously to requite their serviceablenesse and industry In truth it is a conceit befitting such sensuall heads that there is no pains save in ploughing and threshing and that

their education which may by the assistance and supervenient grace of the Spirit be a foundation of reall closing with Christ and real Gospel-holiness In the meanetime God hath purified their hearts by this Faith which is in them though unconsidered unimproved and unactive in that sense as I think is agreeable with the context of Acts 15. 9. i. e. so that though they were impure as to legal purification uncleane and profane as to communion with the worshippers of the true God God hath now made them cleane as to Church-communion and being admitted into Brotherhood by the believing Jewes by bringing them to a belief that Jesus is the Christ 2. Further to warrant the communion of the Church of England observe that those that are united in the Faith of Christ ought to be united in Church-communion i. e. ought to assemble together for the publick Profession of their Faith in Christ and joint serving of God seeking him for each other and the cause of Christ in enlarging and protecting his Church and for mutual edification It is grounded upon that promise of our Saviour He that confesses me before men him will I confesse 'T is true there are other wayes of confessing Christ but the promise is to confession in the latitude and it is dangerous in any particular to be guilty of denying Christ Assembling together to the imploring of Divine grace and a thankfull remembrance of the Lord till he come is the duty of the members of Christian Churches the ends still remaining and being as necessary as in the Apostles times viz. to hold out the profession and faith of Christ to the World and to strengthen encourage and build up each other in our most precious faith and Christian love which is mightily confirmed by our union in the service of God and which is the ground of God's especial regard to united prayers which argue the unanimity and concord of his people The arguments against our assemblies that of mixt-congregations being answered in the precedent assertion are these two I. The perfection to which some men have attained so as to be past those beggarly rudiments externall and fleshly worships c. and now to live in immediate communion and a constant Sabbath If this glory and raisedness be reall in them more then fancy words I shall only say First humility and self-disesteeme is one maine piece of a Christian's perfection Secondly submission to Divine institution certainly would be no derogation from happiness yea that is the question And for proof of it we appeale to Apostolical practice those first times wherein this spirit was wholly unknown We desire not a warrant from Scripture to beare us out in our inconformity to this primitive practice though we might more reasonably then they require of us to shew by Scripture that the effusion of the Spirit in extraordinary gifts ceased with the first age of the Church The matter is quite other in man's duty and God's free dispensation Especially if we remember that a publick profession of our dependance upon God and communion in seeking and acknowledging of God are the dictates of natural light and indispensable Thirdly enquiry may be made whether they are incapable of growth and beyond all increase of grace if not whether the Scripture-way of edification be not most imitable Fourthly such glorious Saints in reality might assemble to the greater benefit of inferiour Christians and sure no perfection priviledges from serving God in building up the Church Fifthly to acknowledge God and Christ before men to blesse him for his mercies to glorify him in the Congregations of his Saints nay to celebrate the memoriall of his death in the Supper of our Lord are Duties agreeable with the most Saintlike eminency while conversant in the World The most glorious Saint or Angel if in a body and mixt with humane society would I believe thus be employed and count it no disparagement no superfluous or empty service Methinks the souls under the Altar and the Hallelujahs resounding from Heaven to the Apocalyptical Divine are good presumptions that there is some such thing in Heaven or that such service is not altogether indecorously attributed to the highest manifestation of God But I wish there be nothing of self-conceit impatience under God's wisely-and-justly-suspended communication of himself or formality converted to another extreme at the bottome of this high-towring confidence I desire in my self to be shrewdly suspicious of that Heaven which lessens my willingness to meet God and his Angels it is as probable an exposition of 1 Cor. 11. as any I have heard coassembled with believers upon earth An heart enlarged to communion with Saints to edification of our brethren to a constant praising of God and to an embracing of any opportunity of acknowledging thankfully before men and Angels the love of God in our Redemption an heart I say thus raised to be Praecentor in the Quire of the Saints blessing God the Father and our Lord Jesus is an heaven in almost every thing but in the spiritualness and Immortality of the Body II. The imperfection of our assemblies in comparison of the primitive times is to some an argument against our Worship of God Indeed it is a good argument to quicken our dulness to an imitation of their affectionate fervency Yet I appeal to the experience of devout souls whether God be wholly absent from our assemblies and the quickning presence of the Spirit absolutely withdrawn We retaine not empty and dead Ordinances and to call them but dead and ineffectuall shadowes is an expression injurious to the manifestations of God in many a faithful heart who can sensibly and with rejoycing beare witness to the appearance of God in our publick Service What wants of miraculous presence we may referre to the Divine Wisdome manifesting it self suteably to each Age of Christianity What wants of effectualness let us blame our negligence and approach more spiritually to service But what consequence is it We are already by much short of the primitive ardour and therefore must still more recede from their so glorious example While we believe the Gospel grace worth our thanks while we need his assistance and protection we must not deny God the service that is due unto him even by right of Creation but do it to our best ability Expect what glorious times you see ground for in Scripture I shall not quarrel though the largeness of your hopes may exceed any promise I can see in Divine Writ yet remember to presse toward it in eminency of piety and due attendance upon the Worship of God which I am sure can be no greater prejudice to the drawing nigh of any glory in the Church then Simeon's waiting in the temple was to his seeing of Christ 3. There must be set over the Church men that may watch to the Flock Pastors Teachers men able to instruct direct and order the Church of Christ and more especially in their religious

cutting 't were madnesse to alledge to the contrary that I have tri'd an unsharpened rude piece of steel Yea but we can preach as well as the learnedst It may be to your own apprehensions and men as little able to discern as your selves But let me answer in this homely but pat similitude 1. Meat may be gnawn or pull'd in pieces but it is a very slovenly carving to others And I cannot see but it is Christian wisedome to avoid all just occasion of contempt to the preaching of the Gospel 2. It is easie to give our what another hath carved to our hand Sermon notes and printed Sermons may carry a man very farre And I have been credibly informed that printed Sermons got by heart served a great while an Irish Apostle for an appearance of mere depending upon the sudden suggestions of the Spirit But Sirs your Authours were Scholars Now I should be very loath to have him for my guide that wholly useth another man's eyes takes up all upon trust Methinks a double danger of fallibility is too much The first had his mistakes and it is probable this second will return them with some addition of his own mistaking him that mistook I like a directer that is able to judge something of himself 3. Many meats need not a knife Yet there are some Truths of very considerable import that carry difficulty and if explained amisse may be of dangerous consequence to a godly life II. Naturall parts use and practise may in many men make a great supply for the want of acquired parts and exceed an industrious incapacity or an unexercised studiousnesse And this is in plain English what some men call the extraordinary assistance of the Spirit in prayer and preaching Many of the Laity are men of quick and ready abilities nimble wits ready apprehension and clear volubility of language in expressing their conceptions especially some having been constant hearers of the Ministery and by much exercise in preaching praying and discoursing of matters of Divinity have accustomed themselves to nimblenesse of head and tongue Now because these possibly excell many a dull Plodder whom necessity unfitnesse for any thing else or his parents fond and ignorant admiration have quite against Nature's intention cast upon the University or some few who have injured their naturall abilities by intangling themselves altogether in scholasticall intricacies presently forsooth Deus è machina a Miracle and the Spirit is come upon them from above But 1. Take them out of their road from some general Doctrines of Christianity to a particular explication of Christian Truths and Duties 2. What would they have proved if learned education had seconded nature or been laid as the foundation of their exercise It is pitty they supplied not the places of some others in the Universities 3. It is all equity and justice to set them in comparison with men of like parts and equall practise and then judge who hath the advantage 4. What grosse mistakes are they guilty of often in interpretation of Scriptures and collection thence for want of skill in the Original and artificial discourse 5. Consider these men would have excell'd others in a Trade and I suppose without Aholiab's inspiration We find the same effects in many unlearned men who by practice and natural sagacity judge clearly and expresse themselves aptly and fluently in matters of civil discourse and intercourse Natural ability is the gift of the all-governing Spirit and the ability acquired by exercise is the blessing of God but all this is nothing of the gift of the Spirit in an Apostolical sense III. Experience and sense of the wayes of God or true reall inward grace is a great advantage to a Minister of the Gospel but not a necessary indispensable requisite not alone a sufficient qualification Indeed experience addes life heat and affectionate power to the delivery of the Word But still the coldness and deadness of an unsanctified Preacher is oft-times discernable only to himself Upon equality of all other conditions an experienc'd Christian is able with more vigour to declare the Truths of Christ So he may understand the Preacher more sensibly then he understands himself A dumbe man and a stammerer may understand mine exact and true relation better then my self because concerned in the action and present to that which I deliver upon diligent enquiry and information received from others Besides the fulness of Sense oft-times confounds the Understanding and Elocution sith one may feel so as to put expression to a losse and then though I apprehend an extraordinary affection in the man I may be to seek for a true explanation of the cause Every one that can fight well I think is not fit to write or Tacticks or the History of a Warre both which have been well done by men who never engaged in any military service A man may feel abundance of paine and yet an Anatomist may be able more distinctly and rationally to mine understanding to explaine what part is affected and how But you 'l say affection is more popular and likely to breed affection Yet there are some whose judgements must be convinced and that may desire a rationall explication And sure clearness of knowledge is a very good foundation for the permanency of affection To cleare this proposition yet more I observe 1. That the Apostles rules require unscandalousness of life in a Minister 2. That Christ's sending out of Judas is sufficient ground for calling to and receiving into the Ministery men of abilities whom we have no presumption of in regard of reall grace See Mat. 7. 22. 1 Cor. 13. 2. The Scribes and Pharisees teaching of truth are to be heard and St. Paul joyes in the Gospel's being preach'd though out of a principle of Contention which is no fruit of the Spirit dwelling in a Preacher Grace is for the use of a man's soul Gifts for the use of the Church The confusion of the Spirit as working grace and as pouring forth gifts is a fundamental mistake in this question But know that a Minister and a Christian are distinct notions And though the ungracious Preacher doth not so much as think of a blessing upon his work yet the Church and a consciencious hearer may believingly expect fruit and edification from God in and by his Ministery whom God may sanctify as to the Church and its benefit though in his private respect he neglect him So Cyrus of old was sanctified for the use of Israël and St. Paul supposes that he that preaches to others may himself prove a cast-away 3. That all things delivered in the Gospel and necessary to be explained are not experienceable Withall consequent experience of joy or dutifull affection is not sufficient ground of Truth It is no improbable supposition that two really godly may both rejoyce in the Lord the one for the universal extensiveness of his Goodness and the other for the speciall distinguishingness of his Love Yet whether's