A Persuasive to an Ingenuous Trial of Opinions in Religion, Section 7
§ 7.
III. The Diſpoſitions wherewith we are to ſearch for the Truth by theſe means, are alſo of neceſſary conſideration: for whatever other advantages we have, if we be greatly defective in theſe, we ſhall very often loſe our labour, and fall into miſtakes of dangerous conſequence.
To qualifie a man for receiving Truth when propounded with ſufficient evidence, or to find it out by his own ſearch, there muſt be theſe three things.
1. A prepared mind. 2. Competent Diligence. 3. Prayer to God for his bleſſing upon that Diligence.
1. A prepared mind, which our Saviour calls a good and honeſt heart. Now this conſiſts in Humility, Ingenuity, and Sincerity.
Humility is neceſſary, becauſe overweening and ſelf-concit makes a man apt to deſpiſe what thoſe of a different Perſwaſion can ſay for themſelves, before their Arguments are conſidered; and in general, to neglect that help which may be had by the advice and reaſoning of others. So likewiſe vain-glory fixeth a man in an errour he hath once defended; and while he is unwilling to acknowledge a miſtake, he ſtrains all his Wit to delude himſelf into a ſtronger belief of it, and of his ability to defend it. In Controverſies he is deſirous of victory, and would fain be thought ſome-body; and therefore he ſtudies more to expoſe an adverſary, than to inform himſelf. And if he be yet to chuſe his ſide of a Queſtion, he takes the wrong one, if it be more faſhionable than the right. Therefore ſays our Saviour, Whoſoever doth not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, i. e. with a meek and pliable ſpirit, ſhall not enter therein. Again, ſays he, My ſheep hear my voice; intimating that they would be eaſily convinced who were of tractable and humble minds. And therefore he adds concerning the Phariſees, that they rejected him, becauſe they were not of his Sheep, i. e. becauſe of their haughty and inflexible diſpoſitions.
Prejudice is apt to bar the mind againſt conviction as well as Pride, and therefore to Humility we muſt adde Ingenuity and Sincerity, by which a man is qualified to diſtinguiſh between the ſuggeſtions of Prejudice on the one ſide, and the force of good Reaſons on the other.
Ingenuity is oppoſed to thoſe Prejudices that are either unavoidably contracted, or taken up through weakneſs of underſtanding.
Of the former ſort are the Prejudices of Education, or converſing altogether with our own Party. Men are generally prepoſſeſs'd with great favour to thoſe Opinions in which they have been all along trained up, and which have been inſtilled into them by all that they have converſed with. And therefore we cannot be meet Inquirers after Truth, if we want the ingenuity of ſuſpecting our ſelves on this ſide, and trying thoſe Perſwaſions in which we have been bred up, with the greater impartiality and ſeverity.
Some men are prejudiced by an unaccountable inclination toward an Opinion, or an antipathy againſt it; and theſe ought the more carefully to diſtinguiſh between the warmth of their imaginations on the one ſide, and the force of Arguments on the other; and not to take a paſſionate fondneſs for a concluſion, or an averſion from it, to be a Reaſon one way or other. It is very incident to weak minds, to prejudg in favour of their Opinions whoſe perſons they admire, and moſtly to that degree, as not to hear with any patience an Argument againſt them. Such a Precious man ſaid this or that, and therefore no body muſt ſay otherwiſe. But it is at once diſingenuous and ſilly, to entertain ſuch an opinion of any man, as to take all that he ſays for Goſpel; for the beſt men are fallible, and 'tis eaſie for an Hypocrite to make himſelf paſs for a Saint in the opinion of ordinary people: and therefore men may be led into great errours, whoſe judgments are captivated in this manner.
To this we may adde that Prejudice which ariſes from conceiving hard things of mens perſons; which an ingenuous man will by no means yield to, but will conſider what another ſays, though he does not fancy the man. It is reaſon enough with ſome people to reject all that their Miniſter ſays to convince them of their miſtakes, if he be called a High Church-man, or goes for an Arminian; and all this while they ſtand in their own light, and will not ſuffer themſelves to be inſtructed in many profitable Truths which they might learn. Thus the Jews, though they were aſtoniſhed at our Saviour's Doctrine and Works, yet believed not; and this becauſe they were offended at him for the meanneſs of his Parentage.
Some are ſo weak as to be prejudiced againſt Opinions and Practices, meerly becauſe they have heard them often abuſed, nicknamed, and inveighed againſt in a rude and reproachful manner. And this goes a great way with ſome Diſſenters to make them deaf to all our Reaſons, that when they are got together, they hear the Rites and Prayers of our Church ſcoffed at and called by vile names. But it ſtands not with the leaſt ingenuity, to run away with prejudice againſt things that are abuſed and laugh'd at, without examining whether there be reaſon for it.
Sincerity is oppoſed to thoſe Prejudices that ariſe from vicious affections and worldly intereſts; and it conſiſts in a firm reſolution to do the Will of God, and a vehement deſire to know it for that end. And this is a moſt neceſſary preparation to know the Truth, becauſe nothing is more common than the perverting of mens judgments by the inordinacy of their luſts, and the ſerving of a corrupt intereſt.
The love of any Vice makes a man partial and inſincere in examining the truth of that Doctrine by which he ſtands condemned. The belief of it is uneaſie to him; it is not for his intereſt that it ſhould be true▪ This is the reaſon why the fool ſaith in his heart, There is no God.
The worldly intereſts of men do ſtrangely byaſs and faſhion their Judgments. It were a thing never enough to be admired, that ſo many men of Parts and Learning ſhould not be aſhamed of thoſe pitiful grounds upon which they maintain the Supremacy of the Pope, the Doctrine of Purgatory, the Half Communion, the Sacrifice of the Maſs, the Invocation of Saints, and the like; but that thoſe things do notoriouſly ſerve the Wealth and Grandeur of the Roman Church. If it be needful to go to a Conventicle for the getting of a rich Fortune, or the bettering of a mans Trade, a little enquiry will for the moſt part ſerve his turn, and ſatisfie him that the Separation is lawful, and the Cauſes of it are juſt. A man ought to ſet aſide all conſideration of his worldly intereſt, and to propound eternal life to himſelf as the end of his inquiry, when he labours to know the Truth.
The affectation of Popularity, and the love of Praiſe and Flattery, cannot conſiſt with a ſincere love of the Truth, and does very often hinder the attainment of it. It is hard to convince men of thoſe things that check their vainglorious ends and purpoſes. And therefore ſays our Saviour, How can ye believe in me, that receive honour one of another, and ſeek not that honour which cometh of God onelyonly?
The wiſe man exhorts us to buy the truth, intimating thereby that we muſt quit all our ſinful luſts and affections, and our carnal intereſts in proſecuting of it. In a word, we muſt be in mind prepared to believe all truth, by being reſolved to do whatſoever appears to be the Will of God, let what will come of it in this World, having our hearts evermore fixed upon the great concernment of eternal life. And this is more neceſſary for the beſt knowledge, than vaſtneſs of Parts and Learning.
Where the mind is thus prepared, there will be little need to preſs the two remaining Diſpoſitions; whereof the former is,
2. Competent diligence. Errour is ſometimes made to look ſo like the Truth, that a ſuperficial examination will not ſerve to diſtinguiſh one from the other. Sometimes the Truth muſt be had by laying a great many things together, and the proof does not lie in one, but in many Arguments pointing the ſame way. Sometimes alſo a concluſion is offered with the ſhew of many Motives of credibility, which neither ſingly nor joyntly prove what is intended. And here patience and induſtry commonly helpeth more than quickneſs of judgement.
Our Saviour bad the Jews ſearch the Scriptures; thoſe very men who in all probability had read them, but as it ſeemeth, not with diligence enough. It were very well, if thoſe that begin to ſtudy Divinity would not preſume upon the diligence and honeſty of others, whoſe Books they ſee full of Citations of Scripture; but take ſome pains to judge whether that be the true ſence in which they are quoted. For want of this, ſeveral have miſcarried in their firſt entrance upon this work; and the errours of men of name and authority, have been propagated. It would alſo be very happy for this Church, and for themſelves too, if the diſſenting people would not preſently conclude that what they read in the Books of their own way is all agreeable to Gods Word, becauſe they ſee abundance of Scripture in them, but would uſe ſome diligence to judge whether that be the true meaning in which the Scripture is there underſtood. It was doubtleſs with deſigne to catch ſuch ſlothful people, that the Catechiſm of H. T. was publiſhed in our Language, whereinAbridgment of Chriſtian Doctrine printed at Doway. he pretends to prove all the lewd Doctrines of the Romiſh Religion, by Texts of Scripture. But if any man will take the pains to examine his pr̄oofs, he ſhall find ſuch miſerable wreſting and perverting of the Scripture, that he will never truſt a Book more merely for ſtore of Scripture-Phraſes and Citations; but go to the Fountain of Truth it ſelf, the pure Word of God, to ſee whether the interpretations of men are indeed the unpolluted ſtreams of that Spring, from whence they are ſaid to come.
We muſt be willing to ſift things to the bottom, if we would not be impoſed upon. A very little pains will ſerve to make a man confident; but 'tis not a little that will make him confident upon ſafe grounds.
3. To Diligence we muſt adde Prayer for the divine Illumination. In ſearching for Truth we muſt implore his help who is the God of Truth, whoſe Word is the Word of Truth, and whoſe Spirit is the Guide into Truth, that he would free our minds from all prejudices and corrupt affections, and from every thing which obſtructs a right underſtanding. If we lack wiſdom, we muſt ask it of God, who giveth his holy Spirit to them that ask him.
And now I dare appeal to all that read theſe Papers, if it had not been to the unſpeakable advantage of Gods Church, and the Souls of men, if all that profeſs Chriſtianity had inquired into the Controverſies of Religion (ſo far as they are concerned in them) with theſe Diſpoſitions that I have recommended. And therefore I do the more earneſtly deſire them to lay their hands upon their breaſts, and in good earneſt to ask themſelves if they have in this manner ſought the knowledge of the Truth; with a mind thus prepared, with impartiality and diligence, and conſtant Prayer for Gods bleſſing and direction.