The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 28
DIRECT. XXVIII.
Do not too much reverence the impulses or revelations or most confident opinions of any others, upon the account of their sincerity or holiness: but try all judiciously and soberly by the Word of God.
MAny that have no such impulses themselves, are yet so much taken with the reverence of others, that they are very apt to be seduced by their confidence. When so great a man as Tertullian was deceived by Montanus and his prophetess: when such a one as Hacket could deceive not only Coppinger and Arthington, but abundance more, some taking him for the Messiah, and some by his breathing on them thinking that they received the Holy Ghost! When David George in Holland, and Iohn of Leyden in Munster, and Behmen Stiefelius and so many more pretended Prophets in Germany could deceive so many persons as they did? When the pretended revelations of the Ranters first, and the Quakers after could so marvellously transport many thousand professours of religion in this land; I think we have fair warning to take the counsel of St. Iohn, Believe not every spirit; but try the spirits whether they be of God. It is a pitiful instance of the good old learned Commenius, who so easily believed the prophesies of Daubritius and the rest which he hath published: Yea when he saw the prophesies fail, yet when he adjured the prophet to speak truth, and got him to swear as before the Lord that it was truth; this seemed enough to confirm his belief of him: whereas if he had been as well acquainted with the nature of Melancholy and Historical passions as many others are, he would have known that as strange things as that he recordeth of the man or women, may be done without any Divine inspirations: and that it is no wonder if that person swear that his words are true, who is first deceived himself before he deceive others. For a crackt brain'd person to believe his delusions to be real verities, is little wonder.
I have many a time my self conversed with persons of great honesty and piety (though of no great judgment) who have some of them affirmed that they had angelical revelations, and some of them thought that the Spirit of God did bring this Scripture or that Scripture to their mind in answer to their prayers; and were so very confident that what they affirmed was the certain truth or voice of God, that I have been stricken with a reverence to their professions, and with a fear lest I should resist God in resisting them. But resolving to take none on earth for the master of my faith, but to try the Spirits whether they be of God, by going to the Law and Testimony, I was constrained to turn my reverence into pity. For I found that their seeming revelations were some of them Scripture-doctrine, and some of them contrary to the Scripture: As for that which is already in the Scripture, what need I further revelation for it? Is it not there sufficiently revealed? Can their words add any authority to the Word of God? And have I not Gods own Ministers and means to help me to the knowledge of his word? And as for that which is contrary to Scripture, I am sure that it is contrary to the will of God: And if an Angel from Heaven should preach another Gospel to me, I must hold him accursed: Gal. 1. 7, 8. so that if these persons should have the appearance & voice of an Angel speaking to them. I would despise it as well as the words of a mortal man, if they be against the recorded word of God.
But by what I have seen and heard, I know that it is a great temptation to some weak Christians to hear one that is much in prayer, say, Take heed what you do: Have no Communion with this sort of men, nor in this or that way of worship; nor in this or that opinion; for I am sure it is against the mind of God: I once thought as you do, but God hath better made known his mind unto me.
But saving the due respect to the honesty of such persons, ask them, How shall I know that you are in the right? If they say, I will not reason the case with you, but I know it to be the mind of God; Tell them, that God hath made you reasonable creatures, and will accept no unreasonable service of you; and you have but one Master of your Faith, even Christ: Therefore if they believe that themselves, which they can give you no reason to believe, they must be content to keep their belief to themselves, and not, for shame, perswade any other to it, without proof! If they say that God hath revealed it to them, Tell them, that he hath not revealed it to you, and therefore thats nothing to you, till they prove their divine revelation: If God reveal it to them but for themselves they must keep it to themselves. If he reveal to them for others, he will enable them to make some proof of their revelations, that others may be sure that they sin not in believing them. If they say, that the Scripture is their ground, Tell them that the Scripture is already revealed to all; And if indeed what they speak be there, you are ready to believe it. But if they pervert the S…pture by false interpretation, or abuse it and m…apply it, none of this is the work of the Spirit of God.
If they say that the spirit hath told them the meaning of the Scripture, say as before, that is not told for you, which is not proved to you? The Scripture is written in such words as men use, of purpose that they might understand it; and is to be understood by all men that hear it, though they have no revelation: God hath set Pastors in his Church to teach it; If therefore revelations be still necessary to the understanding of the Scripture revelations, then the Scriptures seem to be in vain; and these last revelations must again have new revelations to the right understanding of them also.
The truth is, it is very ordinary with poor fanciful women and melancholy persons, to take all their deep apprehensions for revelations. And if a text of Scripture come into their minds, they say, This text was brought to my mind, and that text was set upon my spirit; As if nothing could bring a text to their thoughts, but some extraordinary motion of God? And as if this bringing it to their mind, would warrant their false exposition of it.
To conclude, Decry not the necessity of the ordinary sanctifying work of the spirit, to bless the Scripture to your true illumination and sanctification: And if any pretend to any other revelations or inspirations, or expositions of the Scripture which they cannot prove to you… despise them not, but modestly leave them to themselves: But take heed that the reverence of any ones holiness, tempt you not to depart from the certain sufficien… word of God and draw you not into any … Heresie, or Separation, or Opinion contrary to Gods standing Law.