The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 1
DIRECT. I.
FIrst, observe this General direction; see that you forget not the great difference between Novices and experienced Christians; between the babes and those at full age; between the weak and the strong in grace: Level them not in your estimation. It is not for nothing that the Spirit of God in Scripture maketh so great a difference between them, as you may read in Heb. 5. 11, 12, 13, 14, & 6. 1, 2. 1 Tim. 3. 6. 1 Iohn 2. 12, 13, 14. There are babes, strong men, and fathers among Christians. There are some that are dull of hearing, and have need of milk, and are unskilful in the word of righteousness, and must be taught the principles; and there are others who can digest strong meat, who by reason of Use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Novices must not be made Pastors of the Church. It is not for nothing that the Younger are so often commanded reverence and submission to the Elder; and that the Pastors and Governors of the Church, are usually called by the name of Elders; because it was supposed that the elder sort were the most experienced and wise, and therefore Pastors and Rulers were to be chosen out of them. And why is it that children must so much honour their fathers and mothers, and must be governed by them? It is not meerly because generation giveth the Parents a propriety in their children: For God would not have folly to be the governour of wisdom, upon pretense of such propriety: But it is also because that it must ordinarily be supposed that Infants are ignorant, and Parents have understanding, and are fit to be their Teachers, as having had longer time and helps to learn, and more experience to make their knowledge clear and firm. If the young and unexperienced were ordinarily as wise as the aged or mature, why are not children made governors of their Parents, or at least commanded to instruct and teach them, as ordinarily as Parents must do their children? The Lord Jesus himself would be subject to his mother and reputed father in his Child-hood. Luke 2. 51. Can there be a livelier conviction of the arrogancy of those novices, who proudly sleight the judgments of their elders, as presuming groundlesly that they are wiser than they? Yea Christ would not enter upon his publick Ministry or Office, till he was about thirty years of age. Luke 3. 23. He is blind that perceiveth not in this example, a most notorious Condemnation of the pride of those that run with the shell on their head into the Ministery, or that hasten to be Teachers of others, before they have had time or means to learn; and that deride or vilisie the judgments of the aged, who differ from their conceits, before they understand the things in which they are so confident. It was thought a good answer, in Iohn 9. 21. [He is of age, ask him:] But they that are under age now think their words to be the wisest, because they are the boldest and the fiercest. The old were wont to bless the young, and now the young deride the old. It is the character of a truculent people Deut. 28. 50. that they regard not the person of the old: that is, They reverence not their age. How many vehement commands are there in Solomons Proverbs to the younger sort, to hearken to the counsel of their Parents? The contrary was the ruine of Eli's sons; and the shame of Samuels, 1 Sam. 8. 1, 5. Was Rehoboam unwise in forsaking the counsel of the aged, and harkning to the young and rash? And are those people wise that in the Mysteries of Salvation, will prefer the vehement passions of a novice, before the well-setled judgment of the experienced aged Ministers? I know that the old are too oft ignorant, and that wisdom doth not always increase with age: But I know withall, that Children are never fit to be the Teachers of the Church; And that old men may be foolish, but too young men are never wise enough for so high a work. We are not now considering, what may fall out rarely as a wonder, but what is ordinarily to be expected.
Most of the Churches confusions and divi…ons, have been caused by the younger sort of Christians: Who are in the heat of their zeal, and the infancy of understanding: Who have affection enough to make them drive on, but have not judgement enough to know the way. None are so fierce and rash in condemning the things and persons which they understand not, and in raising clamours against all that are wiser and soberer than they. If they once take a thing to be a sin which is no sin, or a duty which is no duty, there is no person, no Minister, no Magistrate, who hath age, or wisdom or piety enough, to save them from the injuries of juvenile temerity, if they do not think and speak and do according to their green and raw conceits.
Remember therefore to be always sensible of the great disadvantages of youth, and to preserve that reverence for experienced age, which God in nature as well as in Scripture hath made their due. If time & labour were not necessary to maturity of knowledge, why do you not trust another with your health, as well as a studyed experienced Physician, and with your Estates, as well as a studyed Lawyer? And why do no Sea-men trust any other, to govern the ship, as well as an experienced Pilot? Do you not see that all men ordinarily are best, at that which by long study they have made their profession.
I know those that I have now to do with will say, that Divinity is not learnt by labour and mens teaching, as other Sciences and Arts are; but by the teaching of the spirit of God: and therefore the youngest may have as much of it as the eldest.
Answ. There is some truth and some falshood, and much confusion, in this objection. It is true that the saving knowledge of Divinity, must be taught by the Spirit of God: But it is false that labour and humane teaching are not the means which must be used by them, who will have the teaching of the spirit. And the objection confoundeth, 1. The spirits teaching us by inditing the Scripture, with the spirits teaching us the meaning of the Scripture. 2 And it confoundeth the common knowledge of Divinity, with the saving knowledge of it. No man commeth to a common knowledge, fit for a Teacher of others, without the spirits teaching us by the Scripture: For that was the first part of the spirits teaching us, to inspire the Prophets and Apostles to deliver a teaching, Word to the Church, by which we might all be taught of God through all generations. But many men have excellent common knowledge, by this word, and by the common help of the spirit, without that special help which begetteth saving knowledge. Many prophesied and workt miracles in Christs name, who had no saving knowledge of him, Mat. 7. 22, 23. And Paul rejoyced that Christ was preached, even by them that did it of strife and envy, to add affliction to his bonds: Phil. 1. 15, 16, 17, 18. saving knowledge must have a special help of grace; And they which had but Solomons knowledge, may by the spirit have saving knowledge in a little time, by bringing it to the heart, and making it clear, and lively and effectual. But that may be a means of saving others, which saveth not the man that hath it. And all knowledge requireth time and labour, to obtain it, though the Spirit giveth it, and though it may be sanctifyed to us in a little time.
1. Consider I pray you, why else it is, that God hath so multiplied commands, to dig for it as for Silver, and search for it as a hidden treasure: to cry for Knowledge and lift up our voice for understanding: to wait at the posts of wisdoms doors: to search the Scriptures and meditate in them day and night: Is not this such study and labour as men use, to get understanding in other kind of professions? Are not these the plain commands of God? and are they not their deceivers who contradict them.
2. Is it not a blaspheming of Gods spirit, to make it the Patron of mens sloth and idleness, under pretense of magnifying grace? When so many Texts command us diligence, and slothfulness is so great a sin? And none are so forward to preach as these same men that cry down mens teaching.
3. Why hath God setled a Teaching Office in his Church, and commandeth all to attend and hear and learn; if we are taught by the Spirit without mans help? Why were the Apostles sent out into all the world? And why are they commanded to teach all Nations, and to teach the Church all that Christ commanded them? and why doth he promise to be with them to the end of the world? but that this is the way of the Spirits teaching, to teach those first who are our outward teachers, and then to help us to understand them? And those are taught of God, who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their teachers, and have the inward concurrence of his grace.
4. Advise with the experience of all the world who was the man that ever you knew able to expound one Chapter in the Bible, by the inward teaching of the Spirit alone without any labour of his own, or help from others, by voice or writing? Where dwelleth that man who by meer inspiration, can turn one Chapter out of Hebrew or Greek into the vulgar tongue? The first part of our preaching or publishing the Scriptures is by Translating them into a language which is understood. When Ezra in his Pulpit of wood, did read the Law and give the sense, the meaning is, that he read it in the ancient Hebrew tongue in which it was written, and turned it into the language which the Jews then used (who were grown much strangers to their ancient speech.) Where is the man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity, which he never read or heard of, or can teach that truth, and defend that Religion, which he was never taught by man? He is a stranger in the world who seeth not, that as in Law and Physick and other professions, though some are ignorant even when they are old, yet commonly all men are wisest and ablest in their own profession, and those know most, who having natural capacities have had best help, and longest time, and hardest studies, the Spirit assisting them by his common help to make it Knowledge, and by his special grace to make it a sanctifying knowledge. Therefo…e remember to give due respect to them that have been longer in Christ than you, and to them that have longer studyed the Scriptures, and to them that have had greater helps and experience: And do not too easily imagine, that those who are below them in all these advantages, are yet above them in sound understanding: Though such a wonder may sometime come to pass.