The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Catechism · Chapter 4
CAP. IV. Of Revelation, and the Reaſons of ſo great Miſcarriages againſt both the Light of Nature and Revelation, with the Means of Cure.
Queſt. SEeing there is, by all that hath been ſpoken, ſo great a weight reſting upon Revelation, let the Accounts of Gods Revealing himſelf to Mankind be more fully ſtated.
Anſw. Beſides Gods Revealing himſelf to Adam, even in Innocency, in a Doctrine ſuitable to thoſe two Sacramental Trees, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Life; and beſides that Original Revelation of Chriſt after the Fall, The Seed of the Woman ſhall break the Serpents Head; he hath been pleaſed to guide that Holy Seed, which is his Church, by Revelation, as by a Pillar of Fire, throughout ſucceeding Ages, till he compleated the whole he intended, in a Kingdom of Truth, that cannot be ſhaken, which is to continue to the end of the World.
Queſt. How then did God deal with the reſt of the World?
Anſw. Even they were for ſome conſiderable Spaces, in the firſt Ages of the World, within the Advantages of Revelation, by mixture with, or Neighbourhood to the Church, by Tradition from the Holy Patriarchs, which if they had faithfully obſerved, together with the Improvement of Natures Light, it would have ſecured them in True Religion: Beſides, that they who were faithful in theſe, were on all proper occaſions provided for by the Faithful Creator (though they were not ſtrictly of that Seed) with immediate Revelations: But when all theſe were corrupted, as they were in the generality of Mankind, God withdrew himſelf by degrees, as the Glory did from the Temple in Ezekiel, till there was nothing left but the Darkneſs of Tradition; fearfully debauch'd; falſe Deductions from Nature's Light, and worſe than that, the Devils Oracles in the room of Gods; ſo that there was in the generality of the Nations a ſecond and more deſperate Fall of Mankind from the true Religion, the Jewiſh Church, and a ſmall Proſelytiſme to that only excepted.
Queſt. What Examples are there of Gods continuing Favour to any parts of Mankind, out of Abrahams Family, juſtifying him, as not departing from men till they departed from him?
Anſw. Melchiſedek, no deſcendent from Abraham, was King of Righteouſneſs, and King of Peace, at the ſame time the Church was placed in Abrahams Seed; Laban was not wholly revolted from true Religion: But eſpecially Job and his Friends, of the Poſterity of Eſau, were eminent Inſtances of the Favour of God, that whole Book of Job teſtifying, that being helped by Holy Tradition, together with occaſional Revelations, they held the Light of Nature at its own Purity.
Queſt. How long did the Nations that deſerted God, continue under that diſmal obſcurity?
Anſw. Till that Bleſſed Seed, in whom all the Families of the Earth were to be Bleſſed, and who was the deſire of all Nations, came, and ſhone as the Sun of Righteouſneſs upon the whole World.
Queſt. How was the Light of Revelation conveyed to the People of God in Elder Times?
Anſw. In divers Ways and Manners, in more immediate Appearances, in Viſions, Dreams, Propheſies, in inward Illumination, by a Voice: In all which there were, when ever they were truly from God, ſuch mighty Evidences of Divinity as over-ballanc'd all doubt: Together with theſe, were the ordinary and familiar Inſtructions of Patriarchs, and Holy Men, grounded upon Natural and Revealed Religion.
Queſt. How did God conclude his Manifeſtations of himſelf, in the way of immediate Revelation?
Anſw. By ſpeaking in the laſt Days by his Son, and the Apoſtles immediately Commiſſioned by him, ſealing up Viſion and Propheſie in the fullneſs and Complement of Truth.
Queſt. Did God take any care for the ſecuring the Monuments of his Truth given out by Revelation?
Anſw. Yes, very early; how early we know not; but beyond Controverſie in the firſt forming the Jewiſh Church into a ſetled Body, he began the more ſure and certain way of committing his Word and Will to Writing, and for the Honour of it, ſet the Copy with his own Hand, and continued it till the whole Revelation was compleat: Paſſant Revelation, or Oral Tradidition, not being ſure enough.
Queſt. Wherein is the Written Word more ſure than the Word in paſſing Revelation or Tradition?
Anſw. The Word committed to Writing ſtands unalterable, Divine Providence watching over what was Written, to keep it the ſame. All Covenants and Treaties, all Monuments of Knowledge have been thus ſecured, tranſmitted into all Parts, and conſigned to after Ages: Appeals in Caſes of doubt are more ſafely made to what is Written, and every one concerned has a ready and open way to Examine, and in all Caſes to be reſolved.
Queſt. Have all Nations ſince the Days of the Bleſſed Seed been Communicated with theſe Revelations?
Anſw. There hath been a Freedom given to Communicate them, and a Right in all Nations to demand the benefit of them granted by God and Chriſt to them, but there are many ſad Accounts to be given, why this Univerſal Grace to Mankind has not yet taken Effect.
1. The unaccountableneſs of the Methods of Gods Government of the World, in the Efficacies of his diſtinguiſhing Goodneſs, even when things ſeem equally diſpoſed to the advantage of one, as of another.
2. The Experiment made upon ſo great a part of Mankind, that have the Goſpel, juſtifies God in not effectually conveying it to others, who would make as ill an uſe of it: The Idolatry Superſtition of ſome, the ſottiſh Ignorance, Sloath and neglect of others: The Cruelty and Barbarity exerciſed by Chriſtians upon one another, and the unanſwerable living to it in all Sects, make plain the great perverſeneſs of our degenerate Nature, and how Nations that have not the Goſpel, would have abuſed it if they had had it.
3. But eſpecially the great Enmity to, and Contempt of the Heavenly Doctrine, great Nations are inviron'd with, againſt the approaches of it, ſo far as it has come within their notice; as among Jews, Turks, and Pagans, are a very obvious Reaſon, why they receive not the benefit of the Goſpels free promulgation.
Queſt. What then is the immediate Reaſon, why ſo many Nations that have the Light of Nature to guide them, and the Jews that have the Scriptures of the Old Teſtament, have been the one great Enemies to all Scripture Revelations, and the other to the new Teſtament?
Anſw. Becauſe Nations, that have the light of Nature, ſtay not themſelves upon that which is clear and evidently Divine and Publick in Natures Law, but either by unnatural Collections, and miſerable wreſtings of its Principles, or flying to falſe and dark Revelations, fortifie themſelves in falſhood, or miſapplyed Truth: As to the Jews; it is very plain, they were bemiſted with the private Interpretation they had affixed to the Old Teſtament, ſo that they could not ſee the clear, eaſie, and certain Trains of the ſame Publick and Divine, running betwixt the Old and the New; but the Rudiments in the Old being more kind to the Cabal or Cypher of their ſelf-intereſted Senſe, they venerated them, and hated the Perfection and Life in the New, that would not at all bear their privy Gloſs; although both Scriptures had the ſame Credentials from Heaven, and carried the ſame Publick Senſe: So great is the Deluſion of Private.
Queſt. But how comes it to paſs, that even among thoſe that enjoy the Light of the Goſpel, the Scriptures, and profeſs the ſame Chriſtianity, nay, the moſt Refined and Reformed Chriſtianity, there are ſo great Differences and Diviſions?
Anſw. All proceeds from the ſame unhappy Spring; Men cannot endure to reſt in the Clear and Certain Oracles of Truth, but by forc'd Additions, Miſinterpretations, violent Detorſions, forſake that which is Publick and Divine, for that which is Private, and their own; and are greatly offended, and too often enraged, that others do not concur with them.
Queſt. It ſeems then, the beſt Method of keeping off from Errour, is to reſt upon the moſt undoubted Points of Truth, before we remove from them to any thing further?
Anſw. It is undoubtedly ſo; Religion, in all the Branches of it, having ſuffered much more by forreign and diſagreeable Additions, than by wary Suſpenſions: For hereby a Man keeps himſelf from Falſe Religion; and ſtands ready and open to receive Truth.
Queſt. But how then ſhould a Man make forward from Natural Religion to Revealed, or from what he does not underſtand, to what he may in time come to ſee very good Proof for?
Anſw. By ſtaying the due time upon the Uncontrovertible Doctrines and Commands of Natures Laws, yielding full Obedience to God in them, trembling to add any thing of baſer Alloy to them. A Man ſhall ſee Revealed Truth ſhining out upon Natural, and joyning it ſelf to it, and with it. Thus many of the Fathers came over to Chriſtianity: And ſo in all parts of Scripture, by riſing from the moſt Fundamental Truths, lov'd and obey'd, a Man ſhall aſcend by due degrees to thoſe more remote. Thus Good Men in the Old Teſtament waited for the Kingdom of God, and upon juſt Conſiderations moved upon the Line of Truth, from the State of Religion in the Old Teſtament, to that of the New; except ſometimes a Light ſhines ſuddenly round about Men, as in extraordinary Converſions.
Queſt. You ſeem then to think, Falſe Religion, and All Diviſions in the True, have moſt nearly ſprung up from overconfidence of Things, not of the Evidence of Publick and Divine Truth?
Anſw. I do ſo indeed, although I know Mens not liking to retain Truth, but being bewitched by falſe Imagination, betrays them both to the Plague of Loſt and Fallen Spirits, warring under the Prince of our diſordered Air, the Ruler of the Darkneſs of this World, and to the various Arts of Men, who corrupt Religion for the Ends they have to ſerve themſelves of by it. I know Mens Faculties of Search, Inquiry into, and Comprehenſion of Truth, are much ſhrivell'd and ſhrunk up; I know Endleſs Doubts and Incertainties are brought upon Religion, by Darkneſs, and falſe Appearances to Souls, that are ſo full of all the Reaſons and Cauſes of Deluſion within themſelves, and deſerted by the juſt Judgment of God, giving them over to believe a Lie; I acknowledge all theſe Cauſes of Errour: Yet I am aſſured, the cloſe Adherence to God in Truths evidently Divine, and not removing farther into a Religious Eſteem of Things, till upon the ſame Evidence, is the Means, under the Conduct of the Holy Spirit, to be ſecure from dangerous Errour or Schiſm from the true Publick: And whatever is not ſo evidently Publick and Divine, is liable to Private Interpretation, and ſo to Errour: And when Men are overweening upon Private Interpretation, they eaſily fall into Errour; and when they are ſurly and maſterly upon it, it moves Wrath, Emulation, Strife; ſo that both Falſhoood and Cruelty have entered in at this Door, and rang'd over the World.
Queſt. But ought we to ſtupifie all Inquiry, and benumb Judgment, in every thing not evidently Divine?
Anſw. Not ſo; but to behave our ſelves humbly, and modeſtly; to acknowledge there are vaſt Tracts of Truth and Knowledge beyond what we know; but we muſt feel the Evidence of them, before we can receive them: yet to carry our ſelves with due conceſſion to every Mans Senſe, that though their Senſe cannot, nor ought to maſter us, no more ought we to expect ours ſhould them: which would exceedingly reconcile or abate Differences, and retrench the miſchievous Effects the World hath ſo long groan'd under by ſo many Religions of Nations, Names of Churches, and Perſons propagating their Private, that is, not Divine Senſe, and that with Clamour, and too often with rude Force.
Queſt. What are the Inſtances of the Miſchief of making Defection from this Publick, Catholik, Divine Truth, for Private Senſe?
Anſw. The Angels Fall from Heaven was certainly upon Private Senſe and Intereſt; Adam's from Innocency and Paradiſe, upon the ſame; the Jews Fall from being the Church and People of God, was upon the Idiotiſm of having Religion for their own: All Idolatry and Superſtitions of Heathens have riſen from hence: All the Hereſies in the Church have come from an over-love to Private Opinion. This is the moſt damnable Antichriſtianiſm of Rome, to make its Private, Catholick. All Perſecutions of Heathens, Romes Inquiſition, and Maſſacres, have been inflam'd in this Furnace, the love of making Private, Publick. And in leſſer and more unfundamental Points, Private Interpretation enfore'd, as if it were Publick, hath diſcompos'd the Peace of the Pureſt and beſt reformed Churches, and not only diſturb'd their Peace, but ſtain'd their Purity.
Queſt. I ſeem to my ſelf in all this unhappy Babeliſm, or Confuſion of Religion, to be very apprehenſive for the Glory of God, and Religion.
Anſw. It is moſt neceſſary to be zealous for Divine Glory, and for the Honour of Religion; that Rivers of Tears ſhould run down our Eyes, becauſe▪ of the Injuries done by Men to the Divine Law: But yet to be ſo concern'd, as to be ſcandaliſed, is to forget that God is infinitely more the Publick, than we are; and therefore to be offended at his Diſpoſes, is to make our Private the Publick. We muſt then conſider, that if God does not miraculouſly interpoſe, it muſt needs be ſo, it is no other than the Neceſſity of the Caſe, Men moving with ſo great Diſadvantages, as the Active Soul of Man does in ſo great a Concern as Religion is, in our higheſt Intereſt: and as thereupon Men will make uſe of it in the preſent World, it muſt needs be ſo: There muſt be Hereſies in Religion. But that this Mormo, or dreadful Apparition, may vaniſh, we muſt remember, 1. That to the Soul humble, and fearing God, all that is of Grand Intereſt in Faith, Worſhip, and Practice is ſo Publick, and evidently Divine, that no Man need be ever learning, and never come to the Knowledge of the Truth. After this God hath given this Employment to thoſe that through Office or Deſire ſet themſelves to ſeek and intermeddle with al Knowledge, to travel with advantage to themſelves, and others, in their Inquiries into the whole Compaſs of Divine Knowledge; whatever Difficulty can be ſuppoſed to be in things of higher Advance to Salvation, is reſolv'd to them, that do the Will of God, as a Reward of their Obedience; They ſhall know the Doctrines that are of God, that riſe higher towards Heaven than others.
The due and diligent Search after Wiſdom, is a Teſt upon the truly Sincere, and well-reſolv'd in Religion, that have in them another Spirit, as Caleb, to follow God fully, and do not, as the Iſraelites, bring up an ill Report on this good Land, as if the Difficulties were unconquerable, and the Entertainment Hungry and Barren, through the many Diſputes and Differences in Religion.
Hereby, laſtly, the Conduct of the Free Spirit is ſeen, leading into all Truth; and the Unction of the Holy One, by which the True Chriſtian knows all things neceſſary to him to be known, appears moſt deſirable and neceſſary. Thus the Wiſe and Holy Government of God, who brings Light out of theſe Clouds and Darkneſs, is made manifeſt; and it is to be aſcribed to the Infinite Perfection of Light, with the Father of Lights, who is without any variation, or ſhadow of turning.
Queſt. What Rule is then to be obſerved in the great Diverſities of Men in Religion, that may moſt abound to the Honour of Catholick Religion?
Anſw. To own and embrace any thing we find in any Man, or Society of Men, that is truly Catholick, if it be but according to the Light of Natural Religion; to joyn with them in the Performance of any of ſuch Services, ſo far as they will admit it, and keep to the Simplicity and Sincerity of them, according to the Inſtances before-named, of Jonah and St. Paul: And much more ſhould we do this, when True Revealed Religion is joyned with Natural, if nothing be requir'd of us that corrupts and defiles it: No Man's Errour, in which we are not forced to communicate, ſhould drive us from Truth, or any part of it: And upon theſe Foundations we ſhould endeavour to win further and further upon all, to bring them home to God, wherein they wander.
We ſhould make Allowances to every Man, differing in ſmaller things, receiving him without conditioning him to ſubſcribe to us, in things of Doubtful, that is, Private Diſputation.
If any one erre from the Truth, and one convert him by Evidences of that Truth, let him know, that he that converts a Sinner from the errour of his way, ſhall ſave a Soul from Death, and hide a Multitude of Sins.
But if we cannot be admitted to ſuch Communions with thoſe that are ſo enſlav'd to Falſe, or would bring us under the power of Private, or will have nothing to do with us, nor admit us to them; we muſt not yet deſert our Catholick Reſpect to all that is True and Good among them, but acknowledging what is ſo, value and praiſe it, deſire the Divine Acceptance for them in any Good thing, ſo as to bring them out of the Errours they have adjoyned to it, and, as you have opportunity, reaſon them out of the one by the Evidence of the other.