A Persuasive to an Ingenuous Trial of Opinions in Religion, Section 9
§ 9.
V. When after due examination, we have ſetled our ſelves upon true grounds, whether in keeping our firſt Perſwaſions, or in changing them (if we found they were wrong) for better: we muſt remember that there are duties incumbent upon us growing from the knowledge we have gained.
1. We are to be thankful to God for the Truth we have learn'd. When we ſee how miſerably ſome men are miſtaken and deluded in things that are both plain enough, and of great moment, we ſhould not inſult over them and grow into ſelf-conceit, but into humility and gratitude to God, acknowledging it to be of his grace and goodneſs, that we are not led away into the ſame deluſions. We are indeed to thank him for all things that contributed towards our eſcape or recovery. If we have a better natural apprehenſion and judgment than ſome others, who was it that made the difference? If we had a good Education, and were put into a right way at firſt, it was God that choſe thoſe happy circumſtances for us. If we have recovered from any way of dangerous errour in which we were bred up, the converſation, the friends, the books, and all other means by which we came to be better informed, were miniſtred unto us by the good providence of God. And that degree of a good mind which either prompted us to inquire, or prepared us to do it with ſucceſs, was likewiſe from his Grace. Finally, it was his Bleſſing that crowned all. For every good and perfect gift cometh from above, from the Father of lights. So that in effect God is to have all the praiſe. And if we make it our buſineſs humbly and thankfully to acknowledge all his goodneſs in that knowledge of the Truth to which we have attained, we ſhall reap this great advantage and comfort thereby, that by his grace and providence he will communicate to us more and more knowledge, if it be needful for us; or at leaſt that he will not ſuffer us to fall into any dangerous errour. For we are not ſafe from damnable errours merely becauſe we believe the Truth at preſent; our perſeverance in it depends upon the Grace of God, which is forfeited by nothing ſooner than by Pride and Ingratitude. For God reſiſteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. And if by the impiety of neglecting to acknowledge God in thoſe Bleſſings we have received from him, we ſhould provoke him to leave us to our ſelves; our Judgments though they be ſet right at preſent, will eaſily be depraved and corrupted by vicious affections, and by degrees we may fall from one deluſion to another, till we come to believe the ſame things with thoſe men whom we were once apt to ſcorn or to pity for their ſtupidity and blindneſs.
Now the ways are very plain by which we are to expreſs our thankfulneſs to God for the knowledge we have gain'd.
We muſt do this in our dayly Prayers, if we would ſhew our ſelves grateful in any proportion to the greatneſs of the benefit we have received. We are to thank God for the leaſt of his mercies, becauſe we are leſs than the leaſt; and therefore for all the Bleſſings of this life, and of the outward man; that we are not blind or lame, that we have not diſtorted limbs, or a deformed ſhape. But is it not a more valuable Bleſſing ſtill to have a mind clear from all foul and monſtrous errour, endued with ſoundneſs of Judgment, and repleniſht with the knowledge of Divine Truth? Does not this therefore call for particular acknowledgments and thanks?
We muſt be ſure to expreſs our thankfulneſs by better obedience, and by improving in all Virtue and Piety, as we have improved in Knowledge. Otherwiſe we receive this Grace of God in vain. Knowledge conduceth to a mans true happineſs by leading him to do well; but if he holds the Truth in unrighteouſneſs, by increaſing knowledge he does but increaſe ſorrow, and that becauſe he increaſeth his guilt. But that which I chiefly intend here, is this: That God by inlightning our minds with a more full diſcovery of the Truth, has laid upon us a great obligation in general to love him more perfectly, and to perform his Will in all things more readily and cheerfully than we have done. And this is true thankfulneſs, if becauſe God hath led us to the underſtanding of ſome things which we were ignorant of heretofore, we do more heartily perform thoſe plain Duties, and obey thoſe divine Rules of which we were not ignorant before.
Finally, it is a principal expreſſion of our gratitude to God, for being enlightned and undeceived our ſelves, to be charitably helpful for the undeceiving of others, and leading them into the knowledge of that Truth into which God by his providence and grace hath led us. For God is never more pleaſed with us than when we do good one unto another: And therefore our charity to our miſtaken Brethren, is the moſt acceptable Sacrifice of Praiſe that we can offer to him. But this is ſo conſiderable a thing, that it ought to go by it ſelf for one remarkable uſe we are to make of having gained the knowledge of the Truth. Wherefore,
2. Let us conſider how we are after this to behave our ſelves to others. I have already told you, that in gratitude to God we are to do what we can to recover thoſe to whom we have opportunities to do this good office; and that becauſe God would have all men to be▪ſaved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. This was that which our Lord ſaid to Peter, When thou art converted, ſtrengthen thy Brethren; and if thoſe who are not thoroughly confirmed in the Truth are to be farther inſtructed, there is the ſame reaſon for endeavouring to recover thoſe that are quite out of the way. Therefore if any of our Friends and Acquaintance, or others, whom at any time we have a good opportunity of inſtructing, remain under thoſe errours that we have forſaken, and have diſcerned good cauſe to forſake; we muſt remember that though it was chiefly by the grace and diſpoſal of God that we came to a right underſtanding, yet it was alſo by humane means, by converſing with others, or by reading their Books. And therefore we ſhould take our ſelves to be fit Inſtruments under God for the reducing of them, by deſiring them earneſtly either to hear what we have learned from others, or to read thoſe Books by which we have been convinced. And we ſhould be the more earneſtly engaged in this charity, becauſe thoſe whom we may prevail withal, will thereby be engaged to help others alſo; and by this means our diligence and charity will be bleſſed with the good ſucceſs of propagating the knowledge of Truth ſo far, that we ſhall not be able to ſee to the end of it. If therefore thou art convinced that thy former Perſwaſions were erroneous, and thy Practices grounded upon them unjuſtifiable, be not aſhamed to confeſs thy miſtake, but ſhew thy ſelf glad that thou art now better informed; and go to thy Friend and tell him that thou art fully perſwaded thy was has been wrong all this while, and ſhew him theſe Arguments that have ſet thee right, that he, as well as thy ſelf, may rejoyce in the diſcovery of the Truth, and have the ſame reaſon to bleſs God that thou haſt.
Now when we are thus reſolved, let us by no means forget in what manner we are to apply our ſelves to our miſtaken Brother for his information, i. e. in meekneſs of wiſdom, in the ſpirit of meekneſs, without railing and bitterneſs, though we ſhould meet with unhandſome oppoſition, remembring that we our ſelves not long ſince were under the ſame miſtakes, and had the like fondneſs for thoſe erroneous Opinions which we would now reſcue our Brother from. If he does not take information and receive inſtruction as faſt as we did, we muſt not preſently grow into paſſion; for ſome mens prejudices are greater and ſtronger than others, and all men have not the ſame capacity of underſtanding, and quickneſs of apprehenſion; and therefore more time is to be allowed, and more patience is to be uſed for the recovery of one man, than may be needful in the caſe of another. And becauſe nothing puts a ſlow or a prejudiced man more backward than rough and bitter diſcourſe, therefore more meekneſs, and gentleneſs, and patience is requiſite in dealing with him, than if we had to do with one of better wit or leſs prejudice. When we would bring a man to the Truth, we muſt avoid all things that will be ſure to drive him at a farther diſtance from it, as clamour, fierceneſs, and railing will certainly do. For this carriage does but harden the obſtinate, and confound the ſimple.
3. When we are convinced of the Truth, as we muſt not be aſhamed, ſo neither muſt we be afraid to own it, but conſtantly adhere to it by profeſſing it, and practiſing according to it, whatever we loſe or ſuffer for ſo doing. For otherwiſe we are convinced to no other purpoſe than the increaſing of our guilt, for he that knows his Maſters will and doth it not, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. If therefore thou haſt hitherto been a Papiſt, but art now convinced of the impious Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome; or a Diſſenter, but art now ſatisfied that there is no juſt ground for ſeparation from the Church of England; be not afraid of the Reproaches and Accuſations of thoſe whoſe errours thou haſt left, no, not though your dependance be in a great meaſure upon them, or your expectations of worldly advantage from them be never ſo great. Conſider that thy ſalvation lies at ſtake, and that the queſtion is, whether Gods love is not to be preferred before their favour, and that you are now to ſhew that you do not love the praiſe of men more than the praiſe of God. Tell them that you will be ſtill glad of their friendſhip, but that you cannot purchaſe it at ſo dear a rate, as to ſin againſt God for it, either by renouncing that which you are throughly convinced is Gods Truth, or by going contrary to a Conſcience well informed of your duty. Let them know that you have been at a great deal of pains to diſcover the truth in theſe matters, and more than they have been at; that you value that knowledge of your duty to which the Grace and Providence of God hath led you, at a more juſt rate than to ſacrifice it to every worldly intereſt; and that the induſtry you have uſed to inform your ſelf aright, would turn to a very evil account, if after all, you ſhould play the Hypocrite.
When we have the Truth, our loins muſt be girt about with it; we muſt love it heartily, profeſs it ſincerely, and contend for it earneſtly, and practiſe it honeſtly. When we have bought the Truth by diligent and impartial enquiry, we we muſt not ſell it for the gain of worldly Wealth or Honour, or any other ſecular advantage, no not for the ſafety of our lives. The ſum of all, is this: Prove all things, hold faſt that which is good.
FINIS.