A Persuasive to an Ingenuous Trial of Opinions in Religion, Section 1
A PERSWASIVE TO AN Ingenuous Tryal OF OPINIONS IN RELIGION.
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Baſſet, at the George near St. Dunſtan's Church in Fleetſtreet. 1685.
A PERSWASIVE TO AN Ingenuous TRYAL OF Opinions in Religion.
§ 1.
THE great reaſon why they are few in compariſon who come to a right underſtanding and a well-grounded Perſwaſion in matters of Religion, is becauſe they are not many who make a due inquiry into them. Were this done more generally, there would not be ſo much ignorance and errour in the world, nor ſo great a variety of Opinions and Sects, as there is, and for the moſt part hath been in the world.
And there are three ſorts of men who fail of knowing the truth, for want of due endeavours to find it out. Some there are who want ability or opportunity to inquire; others, who wanting neither, do utterly neglect it, and will not apply their minds to it at all; a third ſort make but a very imperfect ſearch after truth. And ſo all ignorance or miſtake in things of moment, that concern the ſalvation of▪men, or the peace of the Church▪ may be attributed either to want of power and means to inquire after truth, or to unwillingneſs and perfect negligence, where it may be ſought and attained to; or to lazineſs, inactivity, and partiality in ſeeking it.
To the firſt ſort, we are not onelyonly to reckon Ideots, who want a competent meaſure of Reaſon and Underſtanding wherewith to judge, but thoſe alſo that having the ſame common natural gifts of the mind with others, are yet by reaſon of their outward circumſtances, kept almoſt invincibly ignorant, having very little or no occaſion given them to inquire into things, that they might know them better. And thouſands who ſit in Pagan, or Mahumetan, or Popiſh darkneſs, are thus detained in groſs errours and remedileſs ignorance, as the caſe at preſent ſtands with them. But bleſſed be God this is not our caſe, who live in ſuch a time and place as put no man under circumſtances of incurable ignorance.
As for the ſecond ſort of men▪ who have plentiful means and fair opportunities of being better informed, but utterly neglect to uſe them, they are either ſuch who remain under the power of thoſe falſe Principles which were inſtilled into them in their Education, or who blindly follow erring Guides, whoſe perſons they have in admiration, reſolving never to trouble themſelves with a free and impartial uſe of their own reaſon concerning thoſe Doctrines which they have in their own opinion wiſely and ſafely taken upon truſt. It happens likewiſe very often▪that men are led away by lofty conceits of their own judgment; and the extravagant opinion they have of themſelves, will not ſuffer them to attempt ſuch an ingenuous examination of things, as implies a poſſibility of their being deceived. But I believe they are more who take up Opinions and engage in Parties for worldly ends and carnal intereſts; and theſe, of all others, are fartheſt from inquiring & conviction, becauſe it is a great uneaſineſs to a mans mind, to find himſelf miſtaken in thoſe opinions which are for his profit or pleaſure in this world. And moſtly the power of cuſtom ſtrengthens all theſe cauſes of obſtinacy in neglecting to inquire. Men are not willing to quit the Perſwaſions they have for a long time entertained, but had rather keep where they are, without troubling themſelves to begin all anew, and to inquire whether they have not been all along deceived. And where moſt of theſe obſtructions meet together, as they often do, in the ſame perſon, if he be not ſuccoured mightily by the grace of God, his mind is barred up for ever againſt the knowledge of the truth.
A third ſort miſs of the truth, not that they make no inquiry, but becauſe they do this very imperfectly and ſuperficially, and that either through ſloth and lazineſs, being not willing to take that pains and care which is requiſite for the diſcovery of truth; or through partiality ▪whence it comes to paſs that they examine and … onelyonly or chieſly what is offered in favour of their own ſide, and make it the great end of their ſearch not to follow what ſhall appear to be true upon inquiry, but to be confirmed in their preſent Perſwaſion. And becauſe diligence and honeſty are very neceſſary diſpoſitions in order to the right underſtanding of a great many things in Religion, no wonder that they who inquire without theſe advantages, are rather hardned in Errour than convinced of the Truth.
Now theſe being the common cauſes of ignorance and errour amongſt us at this day, and ſince they all center in want of due inquiry, I ſhall ſet my ſelf to excite all ſorts of people, who are not made incapable by natural weakneſs of underſtanding, to prove and examine things which concern their own Souls and the peace of Chriſtians, with that diligence and ingenuity which becomes reaſonable creatures. And though I know 'tis a hard task that I am undertaking, by reaſon of the prejudices and corrupt intereſts of men which I muſt encounter; yet I am ſure no advice can be more rational than this, that we would be perſwaded to uſe our Reaſon, which if we do not, we lay up the common Talent of our natures in a Napkin.
For God hath endued us with Faculties whereby we can diſcern between Truth and Errour; and moreover, with a natural deſire to know the truth: ſo that the uſe of theſe Faculties is inexcuſably neglected, and this deſire is foully corrupted and debaſed, if we are eaſily impoſed upon in things of great moment. God in our creation hath enabled and inclined us to ſeek the knowledge of Truth, and to inquire into the grounds of our Belief and Practice. And therefore to neglect this, is to abuſe the firſt Gifts of God, and to ſin againſt Nature.
And it ſhould be every mans care to find out that truth which concerns Religion and another life, … this is every mans greateſt intereſt; we ſhould … moſt diligence there, where to be deceived is of moſt dangerous conſequence.
But becauſe there are ſome plauſible Pretences againſt a due and impartial enquiry in matters of Religion, I ſhall prepare my way by endeavouring to remove thoſe Prejudices that lie againſt it; and in order hereunto, I ſhall conſider theſe three Queſtions.
1. Whether it be dangerous to private men to leave them to uſe their own judgment, and to be led by it in matters of Faith and Religion?
2. Whether a general liberty of examining and judging in thoſe things, doth miſchief in the Church, and be the cauſe of Schiſms and Hereſies?
3. Whether if every one have a juſt Right to examine for himſelf, this be not a good reaſon for Toleration, or the univerſal liberty of practiſing according to a mans Conſcience or Perſwaſion, after examination.