The Law of God Ratified by the Gospel of Christ, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
THe holy Apostle in this divine Epistle according to the wisdom given unto him (as his fellow Apostle saith of him) having laid down that great fundamental truth of the Gospel,2 Pet. 3. 15. that righteousness and everlasting life is to be obtained by faith;Rom. 1. 17. that is, by the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to Believers by God the Father, and applied by Faith, proveth it by shewing that none are justified any other way; and this he cleareth by making it evident that all sorts of men Israelites and Gentiles are sinful and guilty before the Lord, and therefore none of them justified by any works of their own in the fight of God. He proveth the Gentiles to have sinned against the law, and light of Nature and Reason; the Israelites to have sinned against that Law, not only so, but against the written Law, and that both Ceremonial and Moral; against th… Ceremonial Law, in that they rested in the outward observation of it, not looking to the substance and end of it, and so their Circumcision was made uncircumcision: The moral Law condemned them because their corrupt natures were enmity against it, contrary unto it; they sinned against it in omissions, commissions, their best performances fell far short of the full perfection of it, and therefore they all stood condemned before the Lord, whose exact justice alloweth of no righteousness but that which is every way perfect. These things being cleared from the 17th verse of the first Chapter to the 20th verse of this third Chapter: Then he declareth another way of justification revealed in the Gospel, even by the full satisfaction and perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, imputed by God the righteous Judge of all the world to Believers, and applied by faith: And having proved this, in the latter part of this and in the two next Chapters, he in…rt…th th…se words in the end of the third▪ Chapter, Do we then &c.? although he had not finished his discourse of free justification by faith through the righteousness of Christ, yet he wou…d put in a caveat against the licentious …buse of this excel…ent Doctrine, though it seemeth a little out of order, not tying himself so precisely to method as to negl…ct the vindicating the honour of Christ, and the preventing, or removing of such a mistake upon which poor souls are apt to make Shipwrack.Parts of the words. So that in these words we may note, first a Question or Objection, Do we make void the Law through faith? secondly an Answer: 1. By way of detestation or abhorrence, God forbid! or, let it not be, far be it from us. 2. By way of denial implied in a contrary Assertion, and that with advantage, We are so far from making void the Law through faith, that by this doctrine we establish the Law. Do we make void the Law? Do we make the Law a vain, empty, useless thing, of no force? Do we take away all authority and binding power from the Law? through faith, through the Doctrine of the Gospel, teaching men another way of obtaining justification and righteousness, by the perfect righteousness of Christ, apprehended by faith without any respect unto or consideration of the works of the Law? foreign Let it not be, far be it from us; Yea, we establish the Law, we give more honour to the Law, we acknowledge more fully and truly the perfection, purity, authority of the Law, than they do, which teach and seek righteousness by the works of the Law. From this objection may be noted this point:Doctr. 1. That Ignorance and malice is apt to mistake, slander or pervert the most precious Truths of the Gospel; or thus, The corrupt Nature of man is apt to corrupt the most precious Truths of the Gospel. So in this present Chapter:Rom. 3. 1, 2. For the Apostle having before proved the people of Israel had as much need of the Righteousness of Christ to save them from condemnation, and to justifie them and present them as righteous before God, as the Heathen; their sins and guilt being as great as that of the Heathens or rather greater. It seems hereupon some were ready to argue: What advantage then hath the Iew, and what profit is there of Circumcision? As if they had said, this doctrine taketh away all difference betwixt Iew and Gentile; it giveth unto Israel the peculiar people of God no more priviledge or dignity in things pertaining to God, than to the worst of Heathen Idolaters; it was to no purpose that God distinguished them from other Nations by the ordinance of Circumcision: Thus is corrupt Nature apt to corrupt the precious Truths of the Gospel. But the Apostle shews that the Iews had much advantage over the Gentiles, chiefly, because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God: They had the word of God, the writings of Moses and the Prophets given by the inspiration of the holy Ghost, directing them to the Messias to whom they were to seek for Righteousness, and in whom they were to believe that they might be justified: They had Sacrifices prescribed them by the wisdom of God, as special helps to strengthen their faith in the perfect Sacrifice of Christ the Redeemer; and therefore they had much advantage above the Heathens, if they improved it for their eternal good; and yet notwithstanding all this, it was as impossible for them to be justified by their own works and righteousness, as for the Heathens, and they had as much need of Christ and his righteousness for justification as a…ese. In this the Iews had the advantage above the Heathens, that they had far better means to lead them unto Christ than the Heathens: Herein they were both alike, that neither the one nor the other could be justified and saved by their own works, but only by Christ and his righteousness. Again in this regard, the condition of the obstinate and unbelieving Iews was worse than that of the profane Gentiles, that they sinned against greater light and means, not improving their priviledges and advantages but receiving the grace of God in vain.Ro. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8. Then followeth another objection, If mans unrighteousness commendeth the Righteousness of God, if Gods Righteousness in justifying sinners be the more gloriously manifested by reason of mens wickedness, how then can it stand with the righteousness of God to punish men for sin? and again, if the glory of God, his rich Grace, do appear and shine forth so much the more admirably by the heinousness of peoples sins, why should any flee from sin, and not rather add sin to sin, doing evil that good may come, that Gods grace may be the more manifested to his glory? The Apostle rejecteth these with detestation, shewing that notwithstanding all their perverse cavils, they shall find God a severe judge, and that their damnation is just: for it doth no way lessen the guilt of sin that God getteth glory by it; for sin in its own nature tendeth to the darkning of Gods Glory, and men by sinning dishonour God; but such is the infinite perfection of God, that as he commanded the light to shine out of darkness, though darkness be contrary to the light, so he can work good, and get himself glory out of the evil of sin, which in it self tendeth to rob him of his glory. So in the sixth Chapter of this Epistle, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Rom. 6. 1. &c.The Apostle had shewed before that all had sinned in Adam, besides the guilt of their own actual sins, yea, even such as lived before the Law was given by Moses; and that by the publishing of the Law sin abounded, the guilt of sin increased: but then withal, he added, that where sin abounded grace did much more abound; the free love and favour of God was gloriously manifested in pardoning sin, thus heightned and aggravated by the express Law, and in freely justifying sinners condemned by the written Law. Hence this Question or Objection, to which the Apostle answers with detestation (as before) and withal sheweth that they who are justified by the righteousness of Christ, have received the Spirit, and so dye to sin and live to righteousness, and are engaged hereunto by their Baptisme, and therefore it is in vain for any to hope for justification, and pardon of sin through Christ, who yeild themselves up to the service of sin. So verse 14th, he saith to Believers,ver. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace: Hence again a Question or Objection of corrupt nature or carnal reason, What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace; May we not therefore sin securely if we be free from the Law, if the Law have no power nor authority over us to condemn us? The Apostle answereth this after his usual manner with detestation, and then more fully, Know ye not that to whom ye yeild your selves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? They that are just…fied by Christ, and freed from the curse, the condemnation and rigour of the Law, are the Members of Christ, and servants of righteousness; but they that sin securely upon a conceit that they are freed from the Law, are indeed the servants of sin, and this service of sin tendeth to everlasting death.The General Reason of the point. The Reason of this in general, is, the contrariety of mans nature unto God and his Truth since the fall, since the Image of God was defaced, and the Nature of man corrupted by sin; so that the powers of the soul thus degenerated are become cross and opposite unto the counsel and truth of God.1 Joh. 4. 5, 6▪ They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them: we are of God, he that knoweth God heareth us, he that is not of God heareth not us; hereby know we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error: all of us are naturally of the world, and all remain so, unless the Lord do effectually by his grace call them out of the world, and so their worldly minds and hearts are unsutable and opposite unto the mind and truth of God.Particular Reasons. More particularly, 1. Ignorance is a great cause why men deprave the Scriptures and pervert the Truths of God: the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. All are naturally darkness,Joh. 1. 5. and therefore full of contrariety to the light and truth of God; ye were sometimes darkness, Eph. 7. 8.saith the Apostle, to those that then were light in the Lord; the best of those whom God hath savingly inlightned by his spirit, were sometimes darkness.Col. 3. 9, 10. Lye not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him. They that are regenerated are renewed as in other regards so in knowledge; This sheweth that the old man is possessed with darkness; Corrupt Nature is void of saving knowledge, and therefore in that condition men are apt to put light for darkness, and darkness for light.Mat. 22. 23, & 29. &c. The Sadduces that denied that great Mystery of the Resurrection of the body, I conceive, were much pleased with an Argument whereby they hoped to nonplus the Lord Jesus Christ; they seemed not directly to deny the Resurrection, but only to desire a Resolution in a difficult case, concerning …a woman that had seven husbands, & out-liv'd them all: The Question was, which of those seven should enjoy her for his wife at the Resurrection; but the Lord Christ telleth them they shewed gross ignorance in that wherein they thought themselves ve…y acute: saith he, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God: and first sheweth them how by the Almighty power of God, the bodies of the Saints at the Resurrection should be so wonderfully transformed and glorified, that they should not need nor desire marriage or other things of the like natrue, no more then the Angels do which are Spirits and have no bodies; then he proveth by the Scripture that the dead shall rise, Now this ignorance is more or less gross in several persons;Ignorance greater or less and whence. some that are not so grossely ignorant as others, yet being weak in knowledge and judgement, are apt to miscarry in this kind: First by misunderstanding some Texts or passages of holy Scripture, so it seemeth the Saints at Thessalonica mistook what the Apostle had written to them in his former Epistle, when speaking of the last day,1 Thes. 4. 15, 16, 17. he saith, This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep; the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air. Where twice he speaketh of himself (if we look on the bare words) as if he should live to the end of the world, as if Christ should come in glory before Paul should leave this world: I conceive, he spake by way of supposition, that if he, and other Believers then living, should remain to the last day, then they should be thus translated to Glory; and as he saith elsewhere, they should not dye, but should be changed and this he might do to teach others by his example to live in a continual expectation o… Christs gloriou… appearing, especially considering that the day of death was to them as the last day, not that he did peremtorily determine any thing concerning the time which was unknown: now compare this with what he writeth to the same Church in the next Epistle,2 Thes. 2. 1, 2, 3. Now we beseech you Brethren, by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit or word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand: Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of Perdition &c. It seemeth some went about to deceive them under pretence of Revelation implied in the word Spirit, some by word of Mouth, as if the day of the Lord should come in that age, and these might abuse those words of the Apostle in his former Epistle, therefore he saith, by Letter (or Epistle) as from us. Now Satan might have this pollicy, and set a certain day, and that within a short time, that when they saw it did not come to pass at the time foretold, they might doubt of the thing it self, whether ever it would come to pass; but the Apostle shews them that there must be a great change before that day, a general Apostacy or falling away, and the revealing that man of sin, the Son of perdition.
Secondly, by drawing false inferences and conclusions from some places of Scripture. So in the present Text, from that …ound doctrine of the Apostle concerning free justification of sinners through the righteousness of Christ, without any respect at all to the works of the Law, it seemeth some drew this inference or conclusion, that the Law was made void: and do not the Antinomians the very same …t this day? yea, do not many among us harbour the same conceits in their minds, as if it were enough only to pray to God to pardon their sins for Christ his sake; as if they …eed not labour after conformity to the Law …n righteousness and holiness. On the other …de,Luk. 13. 3. whereas Christ saith, Except ye repent ye shall likewise perish. Joh. 3. 3.Except a man be born again, Heb. 12. 14.he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Follow Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. From these and the like Scriptures, some it seemeth draw false conclusions, as if by repentance, by holiness, by prayers, and other duties, they might in part satisfie for their former sins; and as if Repentance, Regeneration, Holiness, were not only things accompanying justification and salvation, but proper causes: But ye must consider,
First, that Christ his satisfaction and righteousness is the full, perfect, and only cause of …ustification and pardon of sin, and that no holiness, no duties of the persons justified, do help any thing at all towards their justification; it is the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them, which maketh up the whole matter of their Righteousness in the sight of God, and covereth all their sins.
Secondly, on the other side, Regeneration, Repentance, Holiness, are concomitants, things accompanying justification and salvation, and evidences of it: So that although none can procure pardon of sin, nor justification in the least degree, by any graces or duties of their own, yet none can have any …ound hope that their sins are forgiven, or their persons accepted of God as righteous, without Repentance, Regeneration, and Holiness; because none have their sins pardoned, and their persons justified, but such as receive Christ into their hearts by Faith. Now Christ alwaies cometh by water and blood by his holy graces to wash and sanctifie the Soul, as by his blood and merit to justifie and procure forgiveness of sin. As the light of the fire giveth no heat, and the heat of the fire giveth no light, yet the heat and light are joyned together in the fire; so righteousness imputed to the soul for justification and forgiveness of sin do not sanctifie, and on the other side, Repentance, Regeneration, holiness in Believers do not justifie, yet they are joyned together, and where one is, there is the other, and the latter is an evidence of the former. I conceive it is a common case with many to mistake in this kind, because they want judgement rightly to draw inferences from Scripture gro…nds: so the Anabaptists, because they read of persons baptized when they made profession of faith and repentance; hereupon they draw conclusions against Infant-baptisme: whereas the case is not alike, for those examples are of converted Jews or Heathens, not of such as are born of Christian-parents; whereas they should rather argue, that because Infants born of Church-members under the old Testament, were circumcised as Church-members by the Lord command; therefore Infants born of Church-members under the new Testament are to be baptized as Church-members now.
Thirdly, Prejudicate opinion, the cause of perverting the truth through Ignorance.prejudicate opinions, false conceits, sutable to corrupt Nature and carnal reason, forestalling the mind, and being entertained aforehand, make people very apt to deprave or deny the Truth when it is presented to them. I conceive this was the cause why the Jews were so obstinate in rejecting Christ and his doctrine, not receiving and obeying him as Christ; because their carnal minds were forestalled with conceits of a Messias that should come in state as an earthly Prince, and erect a glorious worldly Kingdom amongst them, and this prejudice moved them to corrupt the Prophecies of the old Testament, and to distaste the doctrines of the New; they liked not to hear of a crucified Redeemer, the doctrine of the Cross was to them a stumbling-block, they did not close with a spiritual Kingdom of Christ, attended with persecution: yea, Christ his Disciples were not free from this disease, and therefore when Christ foretold his own sufferings, Peter presumed to rebuke him, and there was a contention among them for the chiefe place, as if they expected great worldly honours and dignities by following Christ: On the other side, the Grecians were prepossessed with the rational principles of worldly wisdom and Philosophy, and so despised the Gospel as foolishness, though indeed there were such heights and depths of divine wisdom in the mysteries of the Gospel, as never came into the head of the wisest men amongst them. The carnal Israelites were forestalled with an opinion of their own righteousness, and so rejected the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ,Rom. 10. 3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. Ignorance and prejudice, the fruit of ignorance caused them to disrelish the Truth of the Gospel.
Secondly, 2. Reason of the Point.the love of sin is a cause why men pervertor reject the Truths of the Gospel. The Gospel and word of grac teacheth to deny ungodliness,Tit. 2. 11, …2. and worldly lusts, &c. This is distastful to a soul wherein sin raigneth. The Gospel requireth Christians to dye to sin, to mortifie their members which are upon the earth, to live to righteousness, to walk in newness of life.
Thirdly,3. Reason of the Point. the pride of corrupt Nature is very contrary to the Gospel which teacheth to be poor in spirit, to empty our selves of all self-sufficiency, to go out of our selves, to become fools that we may be wise, to be less than nothing in our own eyes, to receive all of meer grace, the free love and favour of God, to present our selves in anothers garment before God in the righteousness of Christ, for the covering of our shame, and cloathing of our nakedness, to look for no acceptance of any service but by anothers worthiness, the merit of Christ.
Fourthly,4th Reason of the Point. corrupt and inordinate self-love may move men to reject or corrupt the Truths of the Gospel, which teacheth self denyal, and the renouncing of all that is dear unto us, so far as it standeth in opposition against Christ, Then saith Iesus unto his Disciples, Mat. 16. 24.If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross and follow me. The Gospel striketh at the right eye, at the heart, and root of the most beloved lusts; How then will self-love rise up against it?
Fifty,5th, Reason of the Point. inordinate love of the world, of things below, being deeply rooted in corrupt Nature, raiseth rebellion against the Gospel, and moveth men either to reject or corrupt the Truths revealed in it. Felix trembled at Pauls discourse and commanded him away: the young man went away sorrowful, when Christ required him to fell all and give to the poor, and follow him,… 16. 14. in hope of treasures in Heaven: The Pharises who were covetous, when they heard Christ speak against that sin de…ided him; Love not the world, …neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; So if any man love the world inordinately, the love of the Truth is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.
The Use of this may be,
First, to teach us to see and bewayle the corruption of our nature, 1. Use of the the first Doctr.and withal, to make us sensible how dangerous it is to continue in our natural estate, destitute of the spirit of Christ; Our corrupt nature is apt to corrupt and deny the precious Truths of the Gospel▪ it were a dangerous and malignant disease of the body, that should turn the best physick into poyson, and either cast it out of the stomach as soon as it is taken in, or grow worse by occasion of the remedy: Our natures are wholly overspread with the deadly disease of sin and corruption, and there is no part …ound in them, as the Apostle saith,Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing: He had much good in him through grace, a great measure of the spirit of Christ, but in his flesh, so far as he was carnal, so far as he was not renewed by the holy Ghost, …o far there was no good thing dwelling in him; which sheweth that in them which are not regenerate, there is nothing spiritually good, nothing suitable and pleasing to God: Whence these two great evils follow;
First, an inclination to reject the Remedy…; like a corrupt Stomack that gives no entertainment to the Physick, leaveth it no time to work the cure, but presently casteth it out. So do many in the state of corrupt Nature, they hear the Truths of the Gospel which the Lord hath appoynted as pre…ious Remedies against that disease, and reject them, cast them up again, either denying them in the secret thoughts, not believing them, or not seriously minding or regarding them. So the Apostle told the unbelieving Iews, Act. 13. 46▪it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life; Lo we turn to the Gentiles. He charged them for putting the word of God from them. The Apostle had put the word of God home to them, and they put it from them; thus it is with many: The Gospel is tendered to them as necessary physick sent down from Heaven, and ministred to them by the Preachers of the word, but they put it from them; either they do not take it down, or presently cast it up again.
Secondly, there is an inclination in corrupt Nature, to corrupt the Truths of the Gospel, and to make them occasions of increasing the disease, and so to make the Gospel to become the servant of death unto death.2 Cor. 2. 16. Corrupt Nature is apt to make both the law and the Gospel occasions of increasing these diseases of the soul concerning the Law,Rom. 7. 5, the Apostle saith, when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin which were by the Law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death: This explaineth afterwards as in other passages; wherefore the Law is holy, 1 Pet. 2. 8.and the Commandment holy, and just and good; the Law is perfectly holy, and just and good, and therefore cannot be properly the cause of any thing sinful and unholy, Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful; such is the malignity of corrupt Nature, that it worketh evil out of good, and maketh the pure and holy Law of God an occasion of sin, the more sin is forbidden, reproved, threatned, condemned by the Law; the more vehemently is the corruption of nature carried after sin. So for the Gospel, the Apostle Peter saith, that Christ preached in the Gospel, is to them that are disobedient, ver. 12, 13.a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; when to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. They stumble and take offence because they like not those terms upon which Christ is offered to them in the Gospel. How dangerous is it then to continue in this estate of corrupt nature? How earnest should poor souls be with the Lord to deliver them? The body is in a sad estate when all both food and physick increaseth some deadly disease in it. The word and Gospel of God is both food and physick, and corrupt Nature is apt to make it an occasion to increase sin, and aggravate condemnation. Cry mightily to the Lord to work a through cure upon your souls, to change and renew your natures, to send his spirit along with his word, that it may overpower the diseases of your souls, and be unto you the favour of life unto life.
Secondly,Use 2, This may teach us not to think it strange, that so many pretious Truths of the Gospel are denyed and rejected in these days, so many parts of Scripture abused with false interpretations and corrupt glosses, so many errors and lyes maintained instead of Truths. Corrupt nature is a full fountain sufficient to send forth a multitude of these poysoned streams. It is a fruitful wombe to conceive and bring forth abundantly, ignorance, mistaking the sense of Scripture, drawing false conclusions from the word, filling the mind with mists and clouds of prejudice against the Truth, Love of sin, Pride, Corrupt and inordinate self-love, excessive love of the world and outward things. These and the like distempers of corrupt Nature, What truths may they not corrupt or deny? What errours and false opinions may they not breed and cherish?
Now when Satan the Father of Lyes, either more immediately by himself, or mediately by his instruments worketh upon corrupt nature, then followes strong delusion or efficacy of error whereby people are brought to believe lyes tending to damnation.2 Thes. 2. 12. Yea, such is the power of Satan joyning with corrupt nature in the producing of false doctrines, that one error begetteth many, and one Seducer deceiveth many; one blind guide draweth a multitude into the ditch with himself: yea, one Heresie may soon over-run a whole Country, and spread suddenly from one Nation to another. How soon did the Heresies of Arius overcome the world, and how were the Kings and Kingdoms of the earth made drunk with the cup of the Whore of Babylon, lying drenched and drowned in Popish errours, Superstitions and Idolatries; and like horns fastned to the head of the beast, imploying their power to maintain the tyranny of Antichrist, and to suppress and persecute the truth, and them that were sincere and zealous in professing and promoting it. And,
Thirdly, Use 3.upon the same ground, we may see the cause of such wicked practices as are used to advance and establish errours: Satan and mans corrupt nature joyn together in the breeding of them. False doctrines have an hellish original, and so are carried on by hellish means; What juglings were used by the Arians to delude the Emperor Constantine, to bring the Champions of the Truth, especially Athanasius into disgrace and suspicion with him? how importunate were they to obtain a toleration, and to be received into Communion with the Church; covering their wolvish natures under sheeps cloathing, while they were weak and kept under, but casting off the sheeps skin when once they grew numerous and strong, and had Emperours for their turn, and appearing in their own colours, devouring the sheep of Christ, making havock of the Church, and exercising outragious persecution against them? Much is related also of the fury and cruelty of the Circumcellions; As for the Papists, what Country in Europe almost hath not had experience more or less of their bloody butcheries? how many thousands of Saints and Martyrs have they murdered with fire and sword, and put to cruel torments in Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Netherlands, England and Scotland? Among the rest the barbarous Massacres acted upon the Protestants at Paris in France, under pretence of friendship, and a royal wedding, and the like cruelty executed in other Cities of that Kingdome, and the hellish Powder plot here in England, are sufficient evidences by what spirit they are led: and this latter is on the one side, I conceive, matter of perpetual infamy and reproach to the Whore of Babylon; and on the other side, an everlasting monument of the goodness of God, and his watchful eye over his Church, in discovering this work of darkness, laughing to scorn the counsels of his Enemies, and commanding deliverance for his people in this Land, by which means the Gospel and ordinances of God are continued among us to this day. But by these and the like examples it may appear, that Satan and the corrupt nature of man closing together, do both bring forth dangerous errours, and contrive wicked means to maintain them. Hence it is that they have dealt perfidiously with men to work their own ends, having first dealt falsly with God in denying his Truth, and (as much as lyeth in them) falsifying his word, putting false constructions upon it, and drawing false conclusions from it. And therefore none ought to stumble at the multitude of errors and false opinions, so as to question the Truth and certainty of Religion, but rather so much the more to use means to be established in the Truth, by searching the Scriptures with diligence, earnestly praying to the Lord to open their understandings, to lead them into all Truth, and confirm them in it, to frame their hearts to receive the love of the Truth, and to keep them from being led away with the error of the wicked.
But some may question.Two Questions Answered. If Satan and corrupt nature are the cause of errours, what is the reason then, 1. That some of the godly are drawn into Error? 2. What is the cause that many carnal persons, and many notoriously wicked, are free from Errours, yea, at such times and in such places where errours and sects abound. For answer to the former I conceive.
First,Answ. to 1. Some of note for profession unsound at heart. that many who have been of note for godliness were never sound; they were but chaffe in the Lords floore, aud so easily blown away with every wind of false Doctrine. Saith the Apostle Iohn, 1 Joh. 2. 18, 19.Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time: These lesser Ant…ists were forerunners of the great Anti…hrist, but whence came these petty Antichrists, even out of the bosome of the primitive? apostolical Church; for saith this Apostle, They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. If these that were in communion with the Church of Christ in those purest times, were unsound at the best▪ and afterwards discovered their unsoundness by departing from the faith and Church of Christ, and becoming open enemies to the Truth, have we not cause to think that many, who in these days imbrace false opinions, were never upright when they seemed most zealous for the Truth and wayes of God? And therefore what need have all to search their hearts, and while they seem to stand take heed least they fall, by l…bouring to ground themselves upon the Lord Jesus Christ by faith unfeigned.
Secondly, 2. Answ. to 1. Query. Some err because their knowledge is but in part.I doubt not but sincere Christians may fall into some lesser errors, because they do but know in part; There are degrees of ignorance in them and the remainders of corrupt nature which may darken their minds, and expose them to the danger of erring, partly through the weakness of their own judgements, partly through the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lye in wait to deceive, partly through the high esteem which they have of some men. So it is thought that multitudes were carried away with Luthers Name, and the eminency of his gifts, and the great service done by him to the Church of Christ.
Lastly, 3. Answ. to 1. Quaere. God permits it to teach us how to esteem men.I conceive that the Lord may in his wisdom suffer some eminent Saints of his to err in some things, that men may learn not to think of men above that which is meet, but to give that great prerogative of infallibility to the God of truth alone, who hath revealed his Truth in the holy Scriptures: and therefore Christians should try all spirits and doctrines by this Rule, bring them all to the Law and to the Testimony, concluding that if they speak not according to this Rule, it is because there is no light in them, no light in their doctrine, so far as it will not endure the trial of Scripture light; yea, the Apostle speaks very high in this case, Though we, or an Angel from Heaven, Gal. 1. 8.preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed. If it were possible for a blessed Angel to preach false doctrine, we must reject and cleave to the Scripture against all contradiction.
For answer to the Second Question: In as much as Satan,Answ. to 2. Query. Carnal persons may be constant to some truths, and whence. and the corrupt nature of man, are the cause of Errours and Heresies, What is the reason that many carnal persons both such as are of civil conversation, and fair moral principles, and also such as are loose and licentious, yea openly profane, are free from errours in such places and ages, where & when false doctrines abound; whereas they are such in whom the corruption of nature raigneth, and such as are held captive by Satan according to his will?
For answer to this I conceive,
First, that some such persons being naturally quick of apprehension, 1. Answ. From Natural quickness of judgment.and judicious, may be so clearly convinced of some truths, that though many deny them and oppose them yet they will stand to them, especially when there is liberty for all sides to hold and profess what they list, and a man may stick to the Truth without loss and danger: in such cases natural Conscience is a strong tye upon mens spirits, to cause them not willfully to deny a known Truth.
Secondly,2. Answ. From affectation of a seeming constancy. Some may affect the reputation of constancy, being loth to be noted for light vain and fickle persons; and therefore in as much as it was their lot to be trained up from their childhood in the truth, they will cleave to it, howsoever others cast it off, so long as they see they may do it with safety. They account it a childish thing to hearken to every novelty and vain fancy (as indeed it is) and therefore not becoming their gravity. It may be they would have been as obstinate in error had they happened to have been taught it in their youth, as now they seem to be constant in the Truth. Is not this apparent in divers at this day, who stand firm in doctrinal truths, and remain perversely stiffe, in old Ceremonyes and superstitious observances, which have no footing in the holy Scriptures, because they have been trained up in both? On the one side they were trained up under sound doctrine concerning the main points of faith: On the other side, they received some superstitious observances by tradition, and therefore they will part with neither,
Thirdly, I suppose Satan having possession of carnal persons another way, 3 Answ. Satan … sure of them a…other way.doth not much temp… some of them to renounce the Truth and entertain errours, because they are not such as are likely to do him any special service in promoting false doctrines.
Fourthly, many carnal persons may be engaged to stand for the Truth against errors because some whom they respect,4. Ans Hoped advantage from those that hold the truth. or upon whom they depend, or of whom they look for some advantage, go that way.
Fifthly, many carnal persons seem to be indifferent in matter of Religion: 5. Answ. From their indifferency to opinions in Religion which keeps them from New ones.They are serious, and hearty about things that bring in profit, in following their business, or in pursuing their pleasures, in satisfying their lusts; they think it no great matter what men hold or profess in matter of doctrine. When the Iews accused the Apostle Paul for teaching false doctrine, saith Gallio the Roman deputy, If it be a question of words and names, Act. …8. 15.and of your law, look ye to it, for I will be no judge of such matters. See how slightly he speaks of matters of Religion, as if they were but empty words, whereas the Question between Paul and the Iews was one of the weigtiest that ever was in controversie. scil. Whether the Lord Jesus were the Christ? And so Festus another Roman Governour relating Pauls Case to King Agrippa, accused by the Iews▪ said, When the Accusers stood up they brought none accusation of such things as I supsed, & 25, 18, 19.but had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Iesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. It seemeth he thought these things to be frivolous queries not worthy of the cognizance of so great a Magistrate as himself: whereas the R…surrection of Christ from the dead (which was in question between Paul and his adversaries) was such a fundamental point, as that mans salvation depended upon it. Thus it seemeth many are kept from embracing errours, because they hold it a matter of no great weight, what men profess in point of Religion. But let all that mind their salvation receive the love of the Truth and walk in it, hating and shunning every false opinion, and every false way, out of sincere love to the Lord Jesus Christ, and true zeal for his Glory. So much of the Question or Objection.