The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIIII. Sathans temptations taken from ſundrie opinions, ſects, and religions, anſwered.
ANd thus Sathan may be anſwered,§. Sect. 1. Sathans temptations perſwading vsus to profeſſe no religion. when he taketh occaſion of diſcrediting the Goſpell and hindring the courſe thereof, by obiecting the wickedneſſe and worldly prophaneneſſe, or the infirmities and fraile weakneſſe of the Miniſters thereof. But if he cannot thus preuaile, he leaueth their liues and commeth to their doctrine. Doeſt thou not ſee (will he ſay) that there are innumerable ſects and contrary factions amongſt thoſe who profeſſe Chriſtianitie? ſome Papiſts, ſome Proteſtants, ſome Arians, ſome Anabaptiſts, ſome Pelagians, ſome Libertines, ſome Familiſts, ſome Donatiſts, & many other who all cite and alledge Scriptures for the defending of their contrarie opinions, & confidently affirme yt they only hauehave the truth amongſt them? how therfore canſt thou know which is truth and which is falſehood; who interpret the ſcriptures aright, and who wreſt and miſconſter them? or if thou wert diſpoſed to be religious, what religion wilt thou profeſſe in this great confuſion? to what Church wilt thou adioyne thy ſelfe ſeeing one is contrarie to another, and thou knoweſt not which is in the truth? If thou beeſt wiſe therefore keepe thy ſelfe quiet and let all alone, harken not to any of them, or if thou doſt, beleeue them not ouer haſtily, be of that religion which will beſt ſtand with thine aduantage; or if thou wilt needes ſerue God, follow thine owne conſcience, hauehave a good intention in that thou doeſt, and it is enough; but profeſſe not one religion more than another, till thou ſeeſt thoſe who are learned agree amongſt themſelues, for vntill then thou canſt hauehave no aſſurance that thou profeſſeſt the truth. For the anſwering of which temptation we are to know, that the ſcriptures hauehave foretould vntounto vsus that there ſhould be ſects, diuiſions, 1. Cor. 11.19. 1. Tim. 4.1. 2. Pet. 2.1.hereſies & falſe teachers, euen vntounto the end of the world; as appeareth 1. Cor. 11.19. 1. Tim. 4.1. 2. Pet. 2.1. And the experience of al times both vnderunder the law, & vnderunder the Goſpel, may ſufficiently teach vsus that whereſoeuer the truth of God is publiſhed and preached, there it is oppoſed by innumerable ſectaries and heretikes, which by the malice and ſubtiltie of Sathan, are ſtirred vp to impugne and diſcredit the true religion: and therefore if Sathan can ſtill keepe vsus blindfoulded in ignorance, and reſtraine vsus from the confeſſion and profeſſion of our faith, till there be a generall vnitie and agreement in the true religion, without all oppoſition or gaineſaying, then he hath attained his deſire; for ſo ſhall we neuer ioyne our ſelues in the communion of the ſaints, nor bee true members of the Church, profeſſing & practizing the religion of Ieſus Chriſt, ſeeing the diuell will not ceaſe to ſtir vp his wicked inſtruments, falſe Prophets, ſecraties and heretikes, to the end they may oppugne and contradict the truth when it is ſincerely preached, and make it fruteleſſe in the hearts of vnbeleeuers; ſeeing alſo our Sauiour hath taught vsus that his Church is but a little flocke, which is aſſaulted and grieuouſly vexed, not onelyonly with Lyons, Tigers and open enemies, but alſo with Foxes, and Wolues in ſheepes clothing, and ſecret enemies who vnderunder the ſhew and profeſſion of religion, ſeeke to vndermine and bring it to ruine. And the Apoſtle alſo hath forewarned vsus that there muſt be hereſies among vsus, 1. Cor. 11.19.that they who are approoued might be knowne. 1. Cor. 11.19. Though therefore there be many ſects, and hereſies, many falſe religions, and but one truth, this muſt not make vsus to neglect all, till there be an vniuerſall agreement, for as well may be reconcile light and darkenes, the children of God with the children of the diuell, grace & naturall corruption, truth and error, as the true religion with thoſe which are falſe, or the profeſſors of the one with the profeſſors of the other.
Thoſe who hauehave important buſineſſes abroad, doe not ſtay at home and refuſe to trauaile becauſe ſome goe out of the way; but therefore they are more carefull to informe themſelues of eueryevery turning in their iourney, becauſe they would not erre with others: thoſe that hauehave a deſire to liue, doe not refuſe all meate becauſe ſome ſurfet & die, by eating that which is vnwholſome; but rather hereby they are made more warie in making good choyſe of ſuch diet as is fit for the preſeruation of their health: thoſe alſo who are ſicke, doe not neglect all phiſicke, becauſe there are many couſening Impoſters and vnlearned Emperickes who kil in ſted of curing; but this maketh thē with more circumſpection to find out a skilful and learned phiſition. Let vsus therefore follow the like practiſe in theſe ſpirituall things: and ſeeing there is but one direct way which leadeth vntounto heauen, and many bywaies which leade to deſtruction, let not this keepe vsus from trauayling this heauenly iourney, but rather moue vsus with more diligence to inquire the right and perfect way: ſeeing alſo there are many which offer vsus poyſon in ſted of the wholeſome foode and phiſicke of our ſoules, let vsus learne with more care to make choyſe and to put a difference betweene the one and the other.
But there it will be demaunded how thoſe who are ſimple and ignorant can iudge which is the true religion,§. Sect. 2. How the vnlearned may diſcerne the true religion from that which is falſe. and which is the falſe, who teacheth the truth and who falſehood? to which I anſwere, that eueryevery one muſt labour to informe himſelfe of the truth, by ſtudying and meditating in Gods word: this muſt be his light to guide him, his counſaylor to informe him, his touchſtone whereby he may diſcerne the ſtubble and ſtraw of mens inuentions, from the pure gold of Gods true religion. Neither are we to receiue all doctrines hand ouer head, but as the Apoſtle exhorteth vsus, we muſt trie the ſpirits whether they be of God or no: and with the men of Berea, we muſt ſearch the ſcriptures,I. Ioh. 4.1. Act. 17. to ſee if thoſe things be ſo as they are deliuered, and accordingly either receiue them if they are conſonant with Gods word, or reiect them if they be diſſonant thereunto. Yea (will ſome ſay) this were a direct courſe if thoſe onelyonly who hauehave the truth on their ſide had ſcripture to alledge, but ſeeing eueryevery heretike is as readie to quote ſcripture, for the vpholding and defending of his hereſie, as the profeſſors of Gods truth for the maintenance thereof; all the queſtion is, whoſe interpretation is to be receiued as good, and whoſe to be reiected as falſe and erroneous? To this I anſwere, that though there be ſome places in the ſcripture hard and ſomewhat doubtful, and therefore the more eaſie to be wreſted vntounto a wrong ſenſe, yet are there others cleare end euident, for the confuting of all ſects, hereſies, and errors whatſoeuer: and therefore we muſt expound thoſe places which are darke and ambiguous, by thoſe which are perſpicuous and manifeſt. For exmaple, if we would know whether Poperie be the true religion or no, we muſt examine the doctrines thereof by Gods word, not making choyſe of thoſe places which ſeeme any way hard and doubtfull, but of thoſe which are cleere and manifeſt; and ſo we ſhall finde that their doctrines are as contrarie to Gods truth, as light to darkenes. For whereas they teach that we are able to fulfill the law, and to merit heauen, the ſcriptures affirme the cleane contrarie,I am. 3.2. and 2.10. namely that in many things we ſinne all, I am. 3.2. and whoſoeuer ſhall keepe the whole law yet faileth in one point is guiltie of all, I am. 2.10. that there is no man who ſinneth not, 1. King. 8.46.1. King. 8.46. that in Gods ſight none that liueth can be iuſtified, Pſal. 143.2. Luk. 17 10.Pſalm, 143.2. that when we hauehave done all thoſe things that are commaunded vsus, we are vnprofitable ſeruants, and hauehave done but our dutie, and therefore merit nothing. Luk. 17.10. So whereas they teach that wee muſt pray to Saints and Angels, becauſe they make interceſſion for vsus, the Apoſtle flatly excludeth all other from this office, but Chriſt alone.1. Tim. 2.5. 1. Tim. 2.5. there is one mediator betweene God and man. Where as they teach that marriage is vnlawfull for ſome men at all times, and ſome meates vnlawfull for all men at ſome times, the holy Ghoſt telleth vsus plainely that this is erroneous and a doctrine of diuels; 1. Tim. 4.1.3.4.and that eueryevery creature of God is good, and nothing ought to be refuſed, if it be receiued with thankeſgiuing. 1. Tim. 4.1.3.4. And that marriage is honorable for all men and the bed vndefiled. Heb. 13.4.Heb. 13.4. that to auoyde fornication eueryevery man muſt hauehave his wife, and eueryevery woman her owne husband. 1. Cor. 7.2. and that better it is to marrie then to burne. v. 9.1. Cor. 7.2. Whereas they teach that our Sauiour Chriſt is carnally and corporally preſent in the ſacrament, the ſcriptures teach vsus the contrarie, namely that he is aſcended into heauen, and therefore not vponupon the earth. Matth. 28.6.Matth. 28.6. That when he was taken into heauen he was taken from vsus, Act. 1.11.Act. 1.11. That the heauens muſt containe him vntill the time that all things be reſtored, Acts 3.21.Act. 3.21. Whereas they teach that we muſt make and worſhip images, both are expreſly forbidden in the ſecond commaundement, and in many other places of ſcripture. Whereas they teach that the ſcriptures ſhould be kept from the common people, in an vnknowne language; the Apoſtle plainely affirmeth that he had rather in the Church ſpeake fiue words with his vnderſtanding, that he might alſo inſtruct other,1. Cor. 14.19. than ten thouſand words in a ſtrange tongue; and flatly inioyneth that the Prophets ſhould keepe ſilence in the Church, rather than ſpeake ſtrange lauguages, where there is no interpreter, 1. Cor. 14.19.27.28. Whereas they hold that the cup in the adminiſtration of the Lords ſupper, is to be withheld from the common people, and giuen onelyonly to the Prieſts, the quite contrarie is to be obſerued in the inſtitution, whereas our Sauiour ſaith, Drinke ye all of it, becauſe it is his blood of the new teſtament that is ſhed for many, for the remiſſion of ſinnes: plainely thereby inferring, that this ſigne and ſacrament of his blood belongeth to as many as were redeemed by it,Matth, 26.28. Matth. 26.28. And whereas they ſay that here the diſciples were onelyonly, and that to them alone this ſpeech was directed, the Apoſtle plainely taketh away this cauill: for ſetting downe the words of inſtitution for the vſe of the whole Church of Corinth, hee willeth eueryevery one indefinitly to examine himſelfe and ſo to eate of this breade and drinke of this cuppe.1. Cor. 11.28. 1. Corinth. 11.28. And thus if wee ſtudie and meditate in Gods word, wee ſhall find moſt cleere & manifeſt places for the confirmation of the truth, and confutation of all ſects errors and hereſies. But what if this meanes be taken away from vsus, of reading & ſtudying the ſcriptures, either becauſe they are onelyonly to bee had in an vnknowne language, as in the time of popery, or becauſe we cannot reade and hauehave no body to teach vsus? What if both reading and ſtudying them, we finde many doubts and difficulties, and diuers places which ſeeme to fauour diuers and oppoſite opinions and religions? how the muſt we quit our ſelues out of this laberinth of ambiguitie and doubtfulneſſe, ſeeing it is preiudiciall to appeale to the iudgement of either faction? I anſwere, that in theſe dayes the meanes of knowledge are not ſo ſcant, but yt they may inioy them that labour for them; for either they may obtaine the vſe of the Scriptures in their owne language where they dwel, or elſe in ſome other place by remouing their habitation; & though they cānot reade, yet it is no hard matter to learne, to thoſe who will vſe paines and diligence, or at leaſt to get the helpe of others to ſupplie their want and defect in this behalfe. But let it bee granted that we were abandoned of all theſe meanes, or that vſing them, there were ſome doubt remaining of which we cannot be reſolued; are we therefore deſtitute of helpe, and forſaken of all meanes, whereby wee might attaine vntounto the knowledge of the truth? No ſurely. For, if when allother meanes faile vsus, we hauehave our recourſe vntounto God by earneſt & effectual prayer, inſtantly crauing his holy ſpirit to guide and direct vsus, we hauehave a mercifull promiſe that he will heare our requeſt and graunt vntounto vsus his holy ſpirit, as it is Luke 11.13.Luke 11.13. and that thereby he will illuminate the blinde eyes of our vnderſtanding, inlighten our minds with the knowledge of the truth, and take away from vsus all preiudice of opinion and foreſtalled iudgement, ſo as we ſhal diſcerne truth from falſehood, and Gods true religion, from errors and lies, ſects and hereſies.Iohn 16.13. For this ſpirit of truth will leade vsus into al truth, as it is Ioh. 16.13. He ſearcheth al things, 1. Cor. 2.10.12.euen the deepe things of God; and to this end we receiue him, that we may knowe the things which are giuen vntounto vsus of God, as it is 1. Cor. 2.10.12: He is that precious eye-ſalue, wherewith being annointed we ſee,Reuel. 3.18. who before were blinde, Reuel. 3.18. And if once wee hauehave receiued this annoynting, we neede not that any man ſhould teach vsus, 1. Ioh. 2.27.for this annoynting teacheth vsus all things, as it is 1. Ioh. 2.27. Though therefore we were abandoned of all other meanes, yet let not Sathan perſwade vsus to neglect all religion, becauſe we cannot diſcerne the true religion from that which is falſe: for if we earneſtly and ſincerely labour after the knowledge of the truth, and with good Cornelius continually implore the aſſſtance and direction of Gods ſpirit, wee ſhall bee ſure to obtaine our deſire, for the Lord hath promiſed it, and hee will vndoubtedly be as good as his word.