Discourse of Mental Errors, Part · Section 1 – Section 12
First Observation.
TRuth is the proper Object, the natural and pleasant food of the Understanding, Iob 12. 11. Doth not the ear (that is, the understanding by the ear) try words, as the mouth tasteth meat? Knowledg is the assimilation of the Understanding to the truths received by it. Nothing is more natural to man, than a desire to know: Knowledg never cloys the Mind, as food doth the natural Appetite; but as the one increaseth, the other is proportionably sharpened and provoked. The Minds of all (that are not wholly immers'd in Sensuality) spend their Strength in the laborious search and pursuit of Truth. Sometimes climbing up from the Effects to the Causes, and then descending again from the Causes to the Effects; and all to discover Truth. Fervent Prayer, sedulous Study, fixed Meditations, are the labours of inquisitive Souls after Truth. All the Objections and Counter-arguments the mind meets in its way, are but the pauses and hesitations of a bivious Soul, not able to determine whether Truth lies upon this side, or upon that.
Answerable to the sharpness of the Minds appetite, is the fine edg of Pleasure and Delight it feels in the discovery and acquisition of Truth. When it hath Rack'd and Tortured it self upon knotty Problems, and at last discovered the Truth it sought for; with what joy doth the Soul dilate it self, and run (as it were with open arms) to clasp and welcome it?
The Understanding of man at first was perspicacious and clear, all Truths lay obvious in their comely order and ravishing beauty before it: God made man upright, Eccl. 7. 29. this rectitude of his mind consisted in Light and Knowledg, as appears by the prescribed method of his Recovery, Col. 3. 10. Renewed in knowledg, after the Image of him that created him. Truth in the Mind, or the Minds union with Truth, being part of the Divine Image in man, discovers to us the Sin and Mischief of Error, which is a defacing (so far as it prevails) of the Image of God.
No sooner was man created, but by the exercise of knowledg he soon discovered God's Image in him; a…d by his Ambition after more, lost what he had. So that now there is an haziness or cloud spread over Truth by Ignorance and Error, the sad effects of the Fall.
Second Observation.
Of Knowledg there are divers sorts and kinds; some is Humane, and some Divine; some Speculative, and some Practical; some Ingrafted, as the Notions of Morality, and some Acquired by painful search and Study: But of all knowledg none like that Divine and Supernatural knowledg of saving truths revealed by Christ in the Scriptures; from whence ariseth the different degrees both of the Sinfulness and danger of Errors; those Errors being always the worst, which are committed against the most important Truths revealed in the Gospel.
These Truths lye infolded either in the plain words, or evident and necessary consequences from the words of the Holy Scriptures; Scripture-Consequences are of great use for the refutation of Errors; it was by a Scripture-consequence, that Christ successfully proved the Resurrection against the Sadduces, Matth. 22. The Arrians and other Hereticks rejected consequential proofs, and required the express words of Scripture only, hoping that way to defend and secure their Errors, against the arguments and assaults of the Orthodox.
Some think that reason and natural light is abundantly sufficient for the direction of life; but certainly nothing is more necessary to us for that end, than the written Word; for though the remains of natural light have their place and use, in directing us about natural and earthly things; yet they are utterly insufficient to guide us in spiritual and heavenly things, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of God, &c. Eph. 5. 8. Once were ye darkness, foreign, now are ye light in the Lord, i. e. by a beam of heavenly light shining from the Spirit of Christ, through the written Word, into you minds or understandings.
'Tis the written Word which shines upon the path of our Duty, Psal. 119. 105. the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament do jointly make the Solid Foundation of a Christian's Faith. Hence Eph. 2. 20. we are said to be built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. We are bound therefore to honour Old Testament Scriptures as well as New, they being part of the Divine Canon; and must not scruple to admit them as sufficient and authentick proofs, for the confirmation of Truths, and refutation of Errors. Christ referr'd the people to them, Ioh. 5. 39. and Paul Preached and Disputed from them, Acts 26. 22.
Third Observation.
VntoUnto the Attainment of Divine Knowledg out of the Scriptures, some things are naturally, yet less principally requisite in the Subject; and something absolutely and principally necessary.
The natural qualifications desirable in the Subject, are clearness of Apprehension, solidity of Judgment, and fidelity of Retention. These are desirable requisites to make the Understanding susceptible of knowledg; but the irradiation of the mind by the Spirit of God, is principally necessary, Joh. 16. 13. He shall guide you into all truth: The clearest and most comfortable light he giveth to men, is in the way of Sanctification, called the teachings of the Anointing, 1 Iohn 2. 27.
When this spiritual sanctifying light shines upon a mind, naturally enriched and qualified with the three forementioned requisites, that Mind excels others in the riches of knowledg. And yet the teachings of the Spirit in the way of Sanctification, do very much supply and recompence the defects and weaknesses of the forementioned qualifications. Whence two things are highly remarkable:
1. That men of great abilities of natute, clear apprehensions in natural things, strong Judgments, and tenacious memories, do not only frequently fall into gross Errors and damnable Heresies themselves; but become Heresiarchs, or Heads of erroneous Factions, drawing multitudes into the same sin and misery with themselves; as Arrius, Socinus, Pelagius, Bellarmin, and multitudes of others have done.
And secondly, It is no less remarkable, that men of weaker parts, but Babes in comparison, through the Sanctification and direction of the Spirit, for which they have humbly waited at his feet in Prayer, have not only been directed and guided by him into the Truth, but so confirm'd and fixed therein, that they have been kept sound in their Judgments in times of abounding Errors, and firm in their adherence to it in days of fiercest Persecution. How men of excellent natural parts have been blinded, and men of weak natural parts illuminated; see 1 Cor. 1. 26, 27. Matth. 11. 25.
Fourth Observation.
Among the manifold impediments to the obtaining of true Knowledg, and setling the mind in the truth and faith of the Gospel, these Three are of special remark and consideration, viz. Ignorance, Curiosity, and Error.
Ignorance slights it, or despairs of attaining it. Truth falls into contempt among the ignorant, from sluggishness and apprehension of the difficulties that lye in the way to it, Prov. 24. 7. Wisdom is too high for a fool. Curiosity runs beside or beyond it. This Pride and Wantonness of the mind puffs it up with a vain conceit, that it is not only able to penetrate the deepest Mysteries revealed in the Scripture, but even unrevealed secrets also, Col. 2. 18. intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. But Error militates directly against it, contradicts and opposeth Truth, especially when an Error is maintained by pride against inward convictions, or means of better information. 'Tis bad to maintain an Error for want of light; but abundantly worse to maintain it against light. This is such an affront to the Spirit of God, as he usually punishes with Penal Ignorance, and gives them up to a spirit of Error.
Fifth Observation.
Error is binding upon the Conscience, as well as Truth; and altogether as much and sometimes more influential upon the Affections and Passions, as Truth is.
For it presents not it self to the Soul in its own name and nature, as Error; but in the name and dress of Truth; and under that notion binds the Conscience, and vigorously influences the passions and affections; and then being more indulgent to lust than Truth is, it is for that so much the more embraced and hugg'd by the deceived soul, Acts 22. 4, 5. The heat that Error puts the soul into, differs from Religious Zeal, as a Feverish doth from a Natural heat, which is not indeed so benign and agreeable, but much more fervent and scorching. A mind under the power of Error, is restless and impatient to propagate its Errors to others, and these heats prey upon, and eat up the vital Spirits and Powers of Religion.
Sixth Observation.
'Tis exceeding difficult to get out Error, when once it is imbib'd, and hath rooted it self by an open profession.
Errors, like some sorts of Weeds, having once seeded in a Field or Garden, 'tis scarce possible to subdue and destroy them, especially if they be hereditary Errors, or have grown up with us from our youth; à teneris assuescere multum est, faith Seneca; 'tis a great advantage to Truth or Error, to have an early and long possession of the mind. The Pharisees held many erroneous opinions about the Law, as appears by their corruptive Commentaries upon it, refuted by Christ, Matth. 5. but did he root them out of their heads and hearts thereby? No, no; they sooner rid him out of the world. The Sadduces held a most dangerous Error about the Resurrection; Christ disputed with them to the admiration of others; and proved it clearly against them; and yet we find the Error remaining long after Christ's Death, 2 Tim. 2. 18. The Apostles themselves had their minds tinctured with this Error, That Christ should be outwardly great and magnificent in the world, and raise his Followers to great Honours and Preferments amongst men: Christ plainly told them it was their Mistake and Error; for the Son of man came not to be ministred unto, but to minister; yet this did not rid their minds of the Error; it stuck fast in them, even till his Ascension to Heaven. Oh how hard is it to clear the heart of a good man once leaven'd with Error! and much more hard to separate it from a wicked man*I am persuaded (saith Mr. Gurnal) some men take more pains to furnish themselves with Arguments to defend some Error they have taken up, than they do for the most saving Truths in the Bible. Austin said, when he was a Manichean, Non Tu eras, sed Error meus erat Deus meus; Thou O Lord, wert not, but my Error was my God. Gurnal's Christian Armour, part 2. page 36.
Some have chose rather to die, than to part with their darling Errors, and Souldamning Heresies. I have read (saith Mr. Bridges) of a great Atheist, that was burnt at Paris for blaspheming Christ, held fast his Atheistical Opinions till he came to the very stake; boasted to the Priests and Fryars that followed him, how much more confidently he went to sacrifice his life in the strength of reason, under which he suffered, than Christ himself did; but when he began to feel Torments indeed, then he roared and raged to the purpose. Vidi ego hominem. saith the Author; in hs Life, he was Loose; in his Imprisonments, Sullen; and at his Death, Mad with the Horrors of Conscience.
Some inded have recovered the soundness of their Judgments, after deep corruptions by dangerous Errors. Austin was a Manichee, and fully recovered from it. So have many more; and yet multitudes hold them fast even to death, and nothing but the Fire can reveal their work, and discover what is Gold, and what is Straw and Stubble.
Seventh Observation.
It deserves a Remark, That men are not so circumspect and jealous of the corruption of their minds by Errors, as they are of their bodies in times of Contagion; or of their lives with respect to gross immoralities.
Spiritual dangers affect us less than corporeal; and intellectual evils less than moral. Whether this be the effect of Hypocrisie, the Errors of the mind being more secret and invisible than those of the Conversation, God only knows, man cannot positively determine.
Or whether it be the effect of Ignorance, that men think there is less sin and danger in the one than in the other; not considering that an Apoplexy seizing the Head, is every way as mortal, as a Sword piercing the Body: And that a Vertigo will as much unfit a man for service, as an Ague or Feaver: The Apostle in 2 Pet. 2. 1. calls them foreign, damnable Heresies, or Heresies of Destruction. An Error in the mind may be as damning and destructive to the Soul, as an Error of Immorality or Profaneness in the Life.
Or whether it may come to pass from some remains of fear and tenderness in the Conscience, which forbids men to reduce their erroneous Principles into Practice; the relying under many confident Errors in the mind▪ a… secret Jealousie, which we call formido oppositi, which will not suffer them to act to the full height of their professed opinions. Austin gives this Character even of Pelagius himself, Retract. lib. 2. cap. 33. Nomen Pelagii non sine laude aliqua posui, quia vita ejus a multis praedicabatur: I have not mentioned (saith he) the name of that man, without some praise, because his life was famed by many. And of Swinkfeldius it is said, Caput regulatum illi defuit, corbonum non defuit: His Heart was much more regular than his Head. Yet this falls out but rarely in the world; for loose Principles naturally run into loose Practises; and the Errors of the Head into the Immoralities of Life.
Eighth Observation.
It is a great Iudgment of God, to be given over to an erroneous mind.
For the Understanding being the leading Faculty, as that guides, the other Powers and Affections of the Soul follow, as Horses in a Teem follow the Fore-horse. Now how sad and dangerous a thing is this, for Satan to ride the Fore-horse, and guide that, that is to guide the life of man? That's a dreadful, spiritual, judicial stroke of God, which we read of Rom. 1. 26. foreign; God by a penal Tradition suffered them to run into the dregs of Immorality, and Pollutions of life; and that because they abused their light, and became came vain in their imaginations, ver. 21.
Wild whimsies and fancies in the head, usually mislead men into the puddle and mire of Prophaneness, and then 'tis commonly observed God sets some visible mark of his Displeasure upon them; especially the Heresiarchs, or Ring-leaders in Error. Nestorius his Tongue was consumed by Worms. Cerinthus his Brains Knock'd out by the Fall of an House. Montanus hang…d himself: It were easie to instance in multitudes of others, whom the visible Hand of God hath marked for a warning to others; but usually the spiritual Errors of the Mind are followed with a Consumption and Decay of Religion in the Soul. If Grace be in the Heart, where Error sways its Scepter in the Head, yet usually there it languishes and withers. They may mistake their Dropsie, for growth and flourishing, and think themselves to be more spiritual, because more airy and notional; but if men would judg themselves impartially, they will certainly find that the Seeds of Grace thrive not in the Heart, when shaded and over-dropt by an erroneous Head.
Ninth Observation.
'Tis a pernicious Evil, to advance a meer Opinion into the place and seat of an Article of Faith; and to lay as great a stress upon it, as they ought to do upon the most clear and fundamental Point. To be as much concerned for a Tile upon the Roof, as for the Corner-stone, which unites the Walls, and sustains the Building.
Opinion (as one truly saith) is but Reason's Projector, and the Spy of Truth: It makes in its fullest discovery no more than the dawning and twilight of Knowledg; and yet I know not how it comes to pass, but so it is, that this Idol of the Mind holds such a sway and Empire over all we hold, as if it were all the Day we had. Matters of mere opinion, are every where cried up by some Errorists, for Mathematical Demonstration, and Articles of Faith, written with a Sun-beam; worshipping the Fancies and Creatures of their own minds, more than God; and putting more trust in their ill-founded Opinions, than in the surer word of Prophecy. Much like that Humorist that would not trust day-light, but kept his Candle still burning by him; because (said he) this is not as subject to Eclipses, as the Sun is.
And what more frequent, when Controversies grow fervent, than for those that maintain the Error, to boast every silly Argument to be a Demonstration; to upbraid and pity the blindness and dulness of their Opposers, as men that shut their eyes against Sun-beams; yea, sometimes to draw their presumptuous Censures through the very hearts of their Opposers, and to insinuate that they must needs hold the Truths of God in unrighteousness, sin against their knowledg, and that nothing keeps them from coming over to them, but Pride, Shame, or some Worldly Interest? What a complicated evil is here! Here's a proud exalting of our own opinions, and an immodest imposing on the minds of others more clear and sound than our own, and a dangerous Usurpation of God's Prerogative in judging the hearts and ends of our Brethren.
Tenth Observation.
Error being conscious to it self of its own weakness, and the strong assaults that will be made upon it, evermore labours to defend and seeure it self under the wings of Antiquity, Reason, Scripture, and high pretensions to Reformation and Piety.
Antiquity is a venerable word, but ill used, when made a cloak for Error. Truth must needs be elder than Error, as the Rule must necessarily be, before the ab…rration from it. The gray hairs of Opinions are then only Beauty, and a Crown, when found in the way of Righteousness. Copper (saith Learned Dumoulin) will never become Gold by Age. A Lye will be a Lye, let it be never so ancient. We dispute not by Years, but by Reasons drawn from Scripture. That which is now call'd an Ancient Opinion, if it be not a true Opinion, was once but a new Error. When you can tell us how many years are required to turn an Error into Truth, then we will give more heed to Antiquity, when press'd in the service of Error, than we now think due to it.
If Antiquity will not do, Reason shall be press'd to serve Error's turn at a dead lift; and indeed the Pencil of Reason can lay curions Colours upon rotten Timber, and varnish over erroneous Principles with fair and plausible pretences. What expert Artists have the Socinians proved themselves in this matter? But because men are bound to submit human Authority and Reason to Divine Revelation, both must give way and strike sail to the Written Word.
Hence it comes to pass, that the great Patrons and Factors for Error, do above all things labour to gain countenance to their Errors from the Written Word; and to this end they manifestly wrest and rack the Scriptures to make them subservient to their Opinions; not impartially studying the Scriptures first, and forming their notions and opinions according to them; but they bring their Erroneous Opinions to the Scriptures, and then with all imaginable art and sophistry wiredraw and force the Scriptures to countenance and legitimate their Opinions†Cum unaquaeque Haeresis sui commenti parentem habeat Diabolum, ac pudore tàm exosi nominis teneatur; pulcherrimum, & quod super omnia est, nomen Salvatoris profitetur, Scripturarumque dictionibus amicitur, Athanas. contra Arian
But because pretences of Piety and*Take heed (saith one) that when Zeal for Reformation knocks at the door, some new Errors step nor in with it, which will as much need an after Reformation. Reformation are the strokes that give life to the face of this Idol, and give it the nearest resemblance unto Truth, these therefore never fail to be made use of, and zealously professed in the favour of Error, though there be little of either many times to be found in their Persons, and nothing at all in the Doctrines that lay claim to it.
Eleventh Observation.
God in all ages in his tender care for his Churches and Truths, hath still qualified and excited his Servants for the defence of his precious Truths, against the Errors and Heresies that have successively assaulted them.
As Providence is observed in every Climate and Island of the World to have provided Antidotes against the poisonous Plants and Animals of the Countrey; and the one is never far from the other: So is the care of his Providence much more conspicuous in the case now before us. When, or wheresoever venomous Errors and deadly Heresies do arise, he hath his servants at hand with Antidotes against them.
When Arrius, that cunning and deadly Enemy to the Deity of Christ, struck at the very heart of our Religion, Faith and Comfort; a man of subtil Parts, and Blameless Life, which made his Heresie much the more spreading and taking; the Lord had his well-furnished Athanasius in a readiness to resist and confound him. And as he had his Athanasius to defend the Deity of Christ; so he wanted not his Basil to defend the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit against Macedonius.
so when Pelagius was busily advancing Free-will into the Throne of Free-grace, Providence wanted not its Mallet in Learned and Ingenious Augustin, to break him and his Idol to pieces: And it is highly remarkable (as the Learned Dr. Hill observes) that Augustin was born in Africa the same day that Pelagius was born in Brittain.
When Gotteschalcus published his dangerous Doctrine about Predestination, the Lord drew forth Hincmarus to detect and confute that Error, by evincing clearly, that God's Predestination forces no man to Sin.
So from the beginning and first rise of Popery, that centre and sink of Errors, we have a large Catalogue of the Learned and Famous Witnesses, which in all Ages have faithfully resisted and opposed it; and when notwithstanding all, it had even over-run Europe like a rapid Torrent, or rather Inundation of the Ocean: And Germany was brought to that pass, that if the Pope had but Commanded it, they would have eaten Grass or Hay more pecudum. Then did the Lord bring forth Invincible Luther, and with him a troop of Learned Champions, into the field against him; since which time the Cause of Popery is become desperate.
Thus the care of Providence in all ages hath been as much displayed in protecting the Church against the dangers that arose from false Brethren within it, as from avowed persecuting Enemies without it; and had it not been so, the rank Weeds of Heresies and Errors had long since overtopt and choaked the Corn, and made the Church a barren…Field.
Twelfth Observation.
The want of a modest Suspition, and just reflection, gives both confidence and growth to Erroneous Opinions.
If matters of meer Opinion were kept in their proper place, under the careful guard of Suspition; they would not make that bustle and confusion in the Churches, they have done, and do at this day.
'Tis confessed, that all Truths are not matters of meer Opinion; neither are all Opinions of equal weight and value; and therefore not to be left hanging in an equipendious Scepticisme: And yet it is as true, that matrers of Opinion o…ght carefully to be sorted from matters of Faith, and to be kept in their own rank and class, as things doubtful, quibus potest subesse falsum; whilst matters of Faith clearly revealed, are to stand upon their own sure and firm Basis. The former, viz. matters of meer Opinion, we are so to hold, as upon clearer light to be ready to part with them, and give them up into the hands of Truth. The other, viz. matters of Faith, we are to hold with resolutions to Live and Dye by them.
What is Opinion, but the wavering of the understanding betwixt probable Arguments, for and against a point of Doctrine? So that it's rather an inclination, than an assertion, as being accompanied with Fear, Floating. and Inconstancy. In such cases there should be a due concession and allowance of other mens Opinions to them, and why not, whilst they offer as fair for the Truth as we? And haply their Parts, Helps, and Industries, arenot inferior to ours, it may be beyond them, and we may discern in them as much tenderness of Conscience, and fear of Sin as in our selves. In this case a little more modest Suspicion in our Opinions, would do the Church a great deal of right; and that which should prevail with all modest persons to exercise it, is the just reflection they may make upon their own former confident mistakes.