Apology for the Ministers Who Subscribed, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. VVhere People are adviſed to try before they truſt, and not ſuffer themſelves to be impoſed upon, and led into Error by the bold unproved Aſſertions and Dictates of any Preachers or Writers whatſoever.
FOR our parts we neither have, nor deſire to have Dominion over Peoples Faith, 2 Cor. 1.24. And therefore we do not deſire that any man ſhould believe us and be of our Judgment, any further than what we ſay or write is agreeable to Holy Scripture, and to right Reaſon grounded upon Scripture. In thoſe things wherein we affirm that our Author hath erred from the Truth, we have endeavoured to prove by clear Scripture, and plain Reaſon conſonant to Scripture, that he hath ſo erred: And before People poſitively conclude that we are in the right, we intreat them to weigh and conſider well what we have written to prove the Truth of our Aſſertions; and after due conſideration, to judge according to the evidence of our proofs, as they will anſwer to God and their own Conſciences. If we have clearly and faithfully declared to people, the Mind and Will of God, as it is revealed by holy Scripture; though we do not deſire that they ſhould ſubmit their Judgments to us, and believe what we believe, meerly becauſe we believe it; yet we do expect that they ſhould ſubmit their Judgments unto God, as we have done: And that they ſhould believe what we believe, becauſe God hath revealed the matter of our belief, both to us and them. And whoſoever ſhall either neglect or refuſe to ſubmit their Judgments unto God, and to believe what they know or may eaſily know, he hath revealed, will be found guilty before the Lord, of unbelief and Spiritual pride, for which he will one day call them to an account.
But on the other hand, if any think and affirm that we are miſtaken in our Judgment of the things in controverſie, and that therefore they are not bound with us to believe them: To ſuch we ſay, that if in any of them, we are miſtaken, it is more than we know, and our miſtake is altogether involuntary; for the Lord knows that we have diligently ſearched for the Truth, as to all the matters in controverſie, with an earneſt deſire to find it, and with frequent and fervent Prayers to the God of Truth, that he would teach us the Truth; that by his Spirit of Truth, according to his Word of Truth, he would lead us into the Truth of thoſe Matters. And we are fully perſwaded in our own Minds, that God hath heard our Prayers, bleſſed our Endeavours, and cauſed us to find the Truth, which we have diligently ſought and ſearched for. We have alſo given the World an account of the Grounds and Reaſons of this our Perſwaſion, which we ſubmit to the impartial Examination of all that fear the Lord, and are ſincere Lovers of Truth; not doubting but that Perſons ſo well diſpoſed will find upon impartial Examination of the matters in Controverſie, that our Grounds are ſolid, and our Reaſons Cogent and Concluſive.
Yet if in any one thing, we ſhould happen to be miſtaken, (which we believe we are not), we declare, that we are ſo far from deſiring any to follow us in that miſtake, and to believe any thing in matters of Doctrine, which God hath not revealed; that on the contrary, we ſhall through Grace be really thankful, firſt to God, and next to ſuch men as ſhall convince us of our miſtake by Evidence of Scripture, or by Right Reaſon, without Railing and Scolding. As for thoſe who have accuſtomed themſelves unto that way of Writing, let them not think that ever they ſhall be able to move us from our Perſwaſion, by Railing at us and calling us Hereticks; If any attack us with ſuch Carnal Weapons, they will bu… diſcover their own Weakneſs and Folly, and we hope, it ſhall have no other effect upon us, but to move us to pity them, and to pray the Lord to make them better Chriſtians.
It is not any mans bare thinking, or bold ſaying that we are miſtaken and preach a new Goſpel, that can make it to be true, or prove that it is ſo. The Nature of things are not ſo ſoon changed; no, things will ſtill remain to be what they are though weak paſſionate Men ſhould never ſo often think and boldly ſay that they are not what they are; that which is once true, will ſtill remain true, though men think and ſay ten thouſand times over, that it is falſe. As on the contrary, that which is once falſe (as it is moſt falſe that we preach a new Goſpel), will ſtill remain falſe, though our Author and his whole party, ſhould ten thouſand times over both think and ſay, and ſwear too, that it is true.
We therefore beſeech all Chriſtian People, neither to believe our Author nor Us upon our bare Words; he confidently affirms, that we preach a new Goſpel: We deny it, he brings no proof, but his own reproachful Word for what he ſays againſt us: We bring Scripture, Reaſon, and the Teſtimonies of Ancient Fathers, and Modern Divines for what we ſay againſt him, in Vindication of our own Innocency, and for Proof, that the Goſpel which we preach, is no other than the Everlaſting Goſpel of Chriſt, which always hath been, now is, and ever will be preſerved in the Chriſtian Church to the end of the World.
Now we adviſe People not to truſt either him or us without Tryal, but to examine what is ſaid on both ſides; and then to truſt thoſe whom they find upon Tryal to be moſt truſty, and to have given the beſt Reaſons, why they ſhould be truſted in theſe Matters. Conſider Chriſtians! what our moſt bleſſed Lord and Saviour ſaith, Matth. 15.14. That if the blind lead the blind, both ſhall fall into the Ditch. It will not excuſe People before God, that they followed their Leaders; for they are rational Creatures, and they ought to ſee with their own Eyes, and not to follow their Miniſters blindly, without conſidering and knowing whether they lead them right or wrong, whether they lead them in the way of Error, or in the way of Truth. Therefore our Saviour ſaith again, Matth. 24.4. Take heed that no Man deceive you. The like Advice our Lords great Apoſtle gave unto the Churches to whom he wrote his Epiſtles. Let no Man (ſaid he) deceive you with vain Words, (1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Epheſ. 5.6.) This Advice he gave with reſpect to ſome of the things, that are controverted amongſt us at this Day. And again, Let no Man deceive you by any means. (2 Theſ. 2.3.) And as a Preſervative and Antidote againſt being deceived, he exhorted them to prove all things, and to hold faſt that which is good, (1 Theſ. 5.21.)
Moreover, though he was extraordinarily aſſiſted by an infallible Spirit, yet he commended the Bereans as People of a noble generous Mind, for trying his own Doctrine by the Touchſtone of Holy Scripture before they believed it, Acts 17.11. It was not any ſlowneſs in them to believe, which made them examine his Doctrine, but it was Wiſdom and Prudence; for the Scripture ſaith, they received the Word with all Readineſs of Mind, and ſearched the Scriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo; they received readily, and yet ſearched diligently, making no more haſte than good ſpeed; and by ſearching they found all that Paul preached to them to be according to the Scripture, therefore they believed his Doctrine, and believed in Chriſt according to his Doctrine, ver. 12. And this was it which Paul commended them for, that though he was an Apoſtle, inſpired with a Spirit of Infallibility, and could, and did Work Miracles to confirm the Truth of his Doctrine, yet they ſearched the Scriptures daily, to ſee whether his Doctrine was according to the Scriptures, before they believed it: and when by ſearching they found it to be all according to the Scriptures, they immediately believed and readily received it, for that very Reaſon, becauſe it was according to the Scriptures of Truth. And Paul was of ſuch an excellent Spirit, that if the Bereans or any other People had by diligent ſearch found any part of his Doctrine to be really contrary unto the Scriptures of Truth (which was impoſſible for them to do), he would have commended them alſo for not believing it, Acts 26.22, 23. 1 Cor. 15.1, 2, 3, 4. 1 Cor. 7.25, 40. Gal. 1.8.
Yea our bleſſed Lord himſelf when he was on Earth in his State of Humiliation as a Man, and Miniſter of the Circumciſion for the Truth of God, to confirm the Promiſes made unto the Fathers, (Rom. 15.8.) He did not deſire that his Hearers ſhould believe him upon his bare Word, John 5.31. If I bear Witneſs of my ſelf, my Witneſs is not true: That is, though it be never ſo true in it ſelf, yet it is not true with reſpect to you, or it doth not appear true and convincing to you; therefore, as we read in that Chapter and elſewhere, our Lord (over and beſides his own Verbal Teſtimony) uſed to prove the Truth of his Doctrine by Scripture, and to confirm it by ſuch miraculous Works, as could not be done but by the infinite Power of God, who neither would nor could give his Seal to ratifie and confirm a lie. And thereupon he ſaid unto the unbelieving Jews, John 10.37, 38. If I do not the Works of my Father, believe me not, but if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the Works; that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
And when convinced by the Notorlety of the Matters of Fact, that he did wonderful Works above the Power of Man; they were forced by the Evidence of common Senſe and Reaſon to confeſs it; yet being unwilling to believe in him on that account, they found out a way to elude the force of his Argument deduced from his Miracles, by raiſing a diſpute about the inviſible Secret cauſe of them; and by blaſphemouſly aſcribing them to the Devil and not to God, (Matth. 12.24. Mark 3.22.): He did not in Anſwer to that blaſphemous Cavil, tell them, that they muſt believe on his bare Word, that his Miracles were wrought by the Power of God and not of the Devil: But by plain Reaſon and ſtrong Argument taken from the circumſtances of his Miracles; he proved againſt them that they could not poſſibly be from the Devil, and therefore they muſt be from God, Mark 3.23, 24, 25, 26, 27. with Matth. 12.25, 26, 28, 29. He ſaid unto them — How can Satan caſt out Satan? And if a Kingdom be divided againſt it ſelf, that Kingdom cannot ſtand, &c. The Summ of our Saviours Argument was this, That his Miracles were wrought to confirm a Doctrine that is directly contrary to, and deſtructive of every thing that is Deviliſh; and wherever it is received in Faith and Love, there always the Devils Intereſt decays, and himſelf is deſpiſed and abhorred; yea many of Chriſts Miracles were done immediately upon the Devil himſelf, and he was thereby caſt out of that Power and Poſſeſſion, which he had got by Uſurpation over the Bodies and Souls of Men; and the ultimate end of them all, was to ſet up Gods Kingdom among Men, and to deſtroy Satans Kingdom. Therefore the Devil could not poſſibly be the Author of Chriſts Miracles, ſince they were directly contrary to his Nature, and deſtructive of his Kingdom and Intereſt in the World.
The conſequence is evident, becauſe if the Devil be ſuppoſed to do ſuch Miracles ſo circumſtantiated, he is and muſt be ipſo facto ſuppoſed to be a ſilly weak Prince, that for want of a Politick Head and Ambitious Heart acts quite contrary unto his own Nature, and doth what he can to deſtroy his own Kingdom and Intereſt in the World. But the Devil cannot be ſuppoſed to be a ſilly weak Prince, who ſo Acts for want of Policy and Pride: Such a Suppoſition is evidently falſe and ſelf-contradictious; for the Devil is a moſt Politick, proud Spirit, that is his very Nature as he is a Devil; and his Politick, proud Nature always Acts like it ſelf, and ever prompts him to defend, maintain and propagate his Kingdom and Intereſt among Men.
Therefore it's impoſſible that the Devil ſhould be the Author of ſuch Miracles as are ſo contrary to his Nature, and deſtructive of his Kingdom and Intereſt among Men; ſince it cannot be, that ſuch a Politick Ambitious Spirit as the Devil is, ſhould be ſo filly as to make war upon his own Subjects, pull down his own Kingdom, and take the Crown from his own and ſet it on anothers Head. This was our Lords Argument, whereby he proved his Miracles to be from God and not from Satan.
And this Reaſon with others he hath given us, why we ſhould believe both his Doctrine and Miracles to be from Heaven; and doth no where require us to believe it without any Reaſon. Now if neither Chriſt nor his Apoſtles deſired Men to believe them upon their bare Word without good proof, who are we, and who is our Author, that either we or he ſhould deſire People to believe either the one or the other of us upon our bare Words without good proof? Eſpecially when the matter in Controverſie, is of the higheſt Nature and greateſt Importance, to wit, whether we preach a new Goſpel, which he affirms, and we deny; and without any Reaſon, but with a great many Falſhoods and Calumnies he affirms it; but with good and ſolid Reaſon we deny it, and have diſproved his Falſhoods, and wiped off his Calumnies.
Amongſt other things our Author reproaches us (as hath been ſhewed) with the Name of Rational Divines, by which it plainly appears, that he himſelf would not be accounted a Rational Preacher or Writer of matters of Divinity; and then belike, he would not have the People to be Rational Hearers and Readers, but to believe all that he either Preaches or Writes, without knowing any good Reaſon why or wherefore. But that which he caſts upon us as a reproach, we take it as a Crown, being rightly underſtood, as we have ſhewed it ought to be. And if we be indeed Rational Divines, we bleſs God who hath made us ſuch, and pray him ſo to continue us, whileſt he hath any Service for us here; and ſtill to make us more Rational, that we may be the better able to open unto his People the true Grounds and Reaſons of the Chriſtian Faith. And as we deſire to be Rational Divines in the ſenſe before explained, ſo we deſire that the People may be Rational Hearers, Readers and Believers, ſo rational as not to receive every Doctrine they hear from the Pulpit, and read from the Preſs, without knowing by Scripture and Scriptural Reaſon, why and wherefore they receive it: Therefore we exhort and beſeech them to try before they truſt. Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God: 1 Joh. 4.1. 1 Theſ. 5.21.prove all things, and hold faſt that which is good. Conſider what we have ſaid, to clear up God's Truth, and to vindicate our own Innocency from the Aſperſions and Calumnies of the Accuſer of the Brethren; and according to the Evidence we offer you, judge impartially, as you will Anſwer to God and your own Conſciences.
FINIS.
Some Books Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey.
SEveral Diſcourſes, 1. Of Purity. 2. Of Repentance. 3. Of Seeking firſt the Kingdom of God. By Hezekiah Burton, D. D. late Rector of Barns near London, and Publiſhed by the Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury, Dr. Tillotſon, in 8vo.
Biſhop Wilkins h…s Gift of Prayer and Preaching, newly Reprinted with the Addition of near a thouſand Authors to the Preaching, in 8vo.
Mr. Slaters Thankſgiving Sermon, October 27th. 1692. 4to
— His Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. John Reynolds, Miniſter of the Goſpel, Jan. 8. 1692. 4to.
— His Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Richard Fincher, Miniſter of the Goſpel, Feb. 19. 1692. 4to.
Mr. Daniel Burgeſs, his Mans whole Duty, and Gods wonderful intreaty of him thereunto, from 2 Cor. 5.20. in Twelves.
— His Advice to Parents and Children, the ſumm of a few Sermons Contracted, in 12o.
— The Death and Reſt, Reſurrection, and Bleſſed Portion of the Saints in a Diſcourſe on Dan. 12.13. Being preached on the Occaſion of the Death of Dr. Daniel Rolls Miniſter of the Goſpel. Together with the Work of the Redeemer and the Redeemed, in 12o.
A Good Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt, a Funeral Sermon for the Reverend, Mr. Richard Steel, a faithful and uſeful Miniſter of the Goſpel, Nov. 27. 1692. By George Hammond, M. A. and Miniſter of the Goſpel.
End of the text · William Lorimer, Apology for the Ministers Who Subscribed (1694)