A Persuasive to an Ingenuous Trial of Opinions in Religion, Section 8
§ 8.
IV. My next buſineſs is to offer ſome Conſiderations to perſwade our people to an honeſt and impartial tryal of Opinions in Religion.
This indeed cannot be done by all with equal advantage, becauſe of the difference of mens abilities; but ſomething is to be done by all, and every one is to do what he can, and God expects no more.
If we chuſe a way of Religion at random, or without honeſt care to know the Truth, we are in great danger of falling into deluſion, becauſe there are falſe Religions and damnable Errours in the World. Saith St. John, Try the Spirits whether they be of God, becauſe many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world. There was danger of running into grievous errour in the beſt and pureſt Age of the Church, if Chriſtians were not careful to examine things. And ſurely the danger is greater in this corrupt Age, and this extremely-divided State of Chriſtendom.
It often happens alſo, I doubt for the moſt part, that Seducers are more diligent and wiſe to propagate Errour, than good men are to gain Proſelytes to the Truth. The former are evermore too hard for the latter in confidence, peremptorineſs, threatning of damnation, magnificent and lofty pretences, and where the caſe calls for it, in artificial addreſſes and inſinuations. And this makes our danger the greater, if we are not reſolved to try before we truſt.
Nay, if we were ſecure from Impoſtors, yet becauſe no man is infallible, we ſhould not ſurrender up our Belief wholly to the Authority of any man, but judge of his Doctrine as well as we can.
Becauſe there cannot be a ſtronger ground for our aſſent to any thing, than that God has ſaid it, we are to be very careful how we receive an Opinion, for which Texts of Scripture are multiplied one upon another, i. e. we muſt ſee whether they do indeed prove the thing in queſtion: for otherwiſe we may by the pretence of ſo great Authority, be the more faſtned in ſome dangerous errour. We are expoſed to manifeſt hazard, if we are apt to admire a man for bringing much Scripture to ſerve his purpoſe, but not to think it needful to ſee whether thoſe paſſages of Holy Writ be pertinently applied or not.
To this I muſt adde, that the errours we may fall into for want of enquiry and examination, may for ought we know, be of dangerous conſequence to our own Souls. Some there are that wreſt the Scriptures to their own deſtruction; and if we are in their way, they may wreſt them to ours too. We may inconſiderately take up Principles that will by degrees debauch our Conſciences, and reconcile us to wicked practices, and in many inſtances eat out the ſenſe of good and evil, ſin and duty.
On the other hand, by conſidering things as impartially and judiciouſly as we can, we ſhall not onelyonly be ſecure from running into great errours, but the Doctrines of true Religion will become more plain to us, and we ſhall have a more clear and diſtinct apprehenſion of them; which will reward our endeavours with great pleaſure and ſatisfaction. For next to the delight of a good Conſcience gained by doing what we know to be our duty, there is no pleaſure more pure and agreeable to the beſt part of our nature, than that which ariſes from an improved knowledge in the things of God.
And having well weighed and conſidered the grounds of our Perſwaſion, we ſhall adhere more ſtedfaſtly to that truth which we have learn'd, and not be eaſily unſetled by the Sophiſtry or the Confidence of ill men, being prepared to ſhew that there is no ſound Reaſon in the former, and no juſt Cauſe for the latter. And when Seducers perceive that we have inquired too far into things, to be born down with peremptorineſs, or to be deluded with colours; they will be diſcouraged from attempting to draw us into their Net.
Moreover, it will be no little ſatisfaction to us, when we are going out of the world, that we have all along taken due pains to inform our ſelves in things of the greateſt concernment to us, viz. thoſe which regard our everlaſting ſalvation; and that the errours into which we may have fallen, were not to be imputed to want of honeſt diligence in inquiring after the Truth, but onelyonly to humane infirmity.
In the mean time, we cannot have the conſcience of ſincerity upon good grounds, if we do not with diligence apply our ſelves to know all our duty, and conſequently all that divine Truth which is the Rule of it, or which leads to the performance of it. One character of that good and honeſt heart which our Saviour compares to the good Ground, is to underſtand the Word. And the reaſon why the Phariſees did not underſtand, was becauſe they were not of God, but of their Father the Devil whoſe luſts they did. One reaſon why God in his wiſdom permits Impoſtures and Errours to go up and down in the World, is becauſe this ſerves to make a more evident difference between thoſe that are ſincere and honeſt, and thoſe that are not ſo. For in theſe circumſtances good men will take the more pains to diſtinguiſh between Truth and Errour, while the inſincere either take up that Profeſſion which ſerves beſt for their worldly ends, or take occaſion by the differences that are in the World about Religion, to throw off all pretence to Religion it ſelf. There muſt be herefies among you, ſaith St. Paul, that they which are approved may be made manifeſt.
To which we may adde, that by honeſt endeavours to be rightly informed in matters of Religion, we do in ſome meaſure qualifie our ſelves for the happineſs of another life, and ſhew that we are diſpoſed heavenwards, and deſirous of that infinitely-better ſtate of things, where Darkneſs and Errour ſhall be done away. For one great part of the Reward promiſed in a better life, is that we ſhall know divine things more perfectly there, than we can do in this World. But this can be no happineſs to any but to thoſe that are lovers of Truth and Goodneſs here.
I ſhall conclude this point with one conſideration more, That at this time we have very confiderable advantages and opportunities towards the diſcovery of Truth in the preſent Controverſies among us. We of this Church are perſwaded that Papiſts and other Sectaries do cauſeleſly divide from our Communion, and grievouſly ſin againſt God, and endanger their own Souls, as well as diſturb the quiet of the Church, by their ſeparation from it, and their combinations againſt it. And therefore ſome pains has been taken, more than ordinary, to ſhew them the errour of their way, by going through the ſeveral points upon which they pretend to juſtifie their doings. And it is plain, as I have ſhewn already, that in things of this nature they are mightily concerned to know the Truth. And therefore if they neglect ſo fair an opportunity of examining things as is now offered them, they will have the more to anſwer for another day. The ſeveral Controverſies between this▪ Church on the one ſide, and the Diſſenters and the Recuſants on the other, are ſtated and argued in a plain and familiar way, and brought down for the moſt part to the capacity of ordinary Readers. And therefore let both the one and the other look to it, that they do not either in obſtinacy or in lazineſs, or for worldly intereſt, put away the Truth from themſelves. We ſhould be very ſorry if our endeavours ſhould have no other effect than to make them more inexcuſable at laſt. It will be our grief, but it will be their condemnation.