The Arraignment of Error, Text (2 of 9)

The Arraignment of Error · Text (2 of 9)

p. 41And in the time of aboundiug errours, he will thus deale with a man; you thought that this and that was a truth, but you ſee now it comes to be debated, it proves but a ſhadow, and ſo are other things you beleeve, if once they were ſifted and debated: if underſtanding men would but deale faithfully, and would apply themſelves to dispute other things you give credit to, they would be diſcovered to be of the ſame ſtamp, and as little bottome in them as in theſe which you have built ſo much upon.

And here a poore man he is gone; either this doth fill his ſpirit with horrour to heare it, and ſo doth awaken him, and puts him upon reading, praying, ſtudying, ſearching, or elſe he is carried away with the streame of the temptation, and if not p. 42openly, yet he …acitely ſubſcribes to the thing, though he speakes not out, witneſſe the caſting off that feare, that awe, that care he had before.

And thus Satan comes to Atheiſt men, if he doe not awaken and unatheiſt you by this, he will certainly Atheiſt you more.

2. To diſcourage and take off the heart of men from doing any thing.

As it doth weaken the beliefe of truths, ſo it wounds the practiſe of them much more; if men faile in principles, they will not long hold out in practiſe; if in rebus credendis, things to be beleeved; ſurely in agendis, of things to be done. Men you know will not labour and take paines for that which they have no beliefe of, you ſhall heare men diſcouraged and taken off from plaine common duties, praying, hearing, reading, why will a man ſay, I ſee all I doe to no purpoſe; I have done this and that, I have prayed, gone to Church, walked in ſuch and ſuch wayes, and now all this is cried downe, there are opinions abroad which throw down all theſe as nothing, and therefore as good to ſit ſtill and doe nothing, as to doe all this and to no purpoſe.

3. It may ſtand with Satans ends, that there ſhould be multitude of erronious opinions, I ſay not only ſome errors, but many ſhould abound, that he may the better ſuite himſelfe to the tempers of men; every fiſh is not to be caught with the ſame bait, ſome with one, and ſome with an…ther, & therfore the cunning Fiſherman doth ſuite his baites, to the fiſhes he angles for: So every man is not carried away with the ſame error, ſome are led aſide with one, and ſome with another, there is a diſſonancy between a man and ſome errours, ſcelera diſſident, and therefore Satan he hath multitudes and variety of errours abroad to ſuit with every mans temper of luſt.

As it is with errours of converſation, every one is not carried away with the ſame luſts, that may be lovely to one, which is no way pleaſing to another; the covetous man he will not be prodigall, and a ſpend thrift, &c. and therefore Satan ſuites temptations to the temper of ſpirit in men.

So it is with errours of judgement, every one is not ſeduced and led aſide with the ſame errour, &c. and therefore it ſuits with Satans ends, not only to have errours, but many errours p. 43on foote, that he may have a bait for every mans temper, proviſion for every mans luſt: As the luſts of life are diverſified, you ſee the Apoſtle tells us, that wicked men ſerved divers luſts, Tit. 3.3. for we our ſelves were diſobedient, ſerving divers luſts; they are diverſified according to the meaſure of underſtanding, according to notions received, according to tempers of men, relations, intereſts, and diverſity of wayes men are ingaged in.

Every man is not carried away with the ſame bait, temptation, nor luſt; ſome are carried away with groſſe luſts, luſts of life and practiſe, men of groſſe and beaſtly temper, ſenſuall men; others againe of finer tempers and ſpirits, that muſt be undone a finer way, a more spiritfull way, the groſſe way is too low for them, and here he hath the luſts of the understanding, and yet every one of theſe are not taking with all; ſome are taken with one errour, ſome with another, according to the difference of knowledge and underſtanding, and the command of ſome luſt in the heart: And therefore Satan hath multitude of errours on foote, that he may ſuite temptations to the tempers of men;Non promotus ſed expertum doctor, Luth. foreign. 2 Cor. 2.14. Rev. ….24. 2 Cor. 3.2, 14.2 Cor 2:142 Cor 3:22 Cor 3:14 And hence he is called a Serpent, a wily creature, yea and the old Serpent, and his temptations, the depths, wiles, methods of Satan. You had need to take heed of him, if he ſee a man conſcientious, he will not goe about with groſſe temptations to corrupt him, for there he thinks it will be labour in vaine, but he endeavours to corrupt the underſtanding with errours, and ſuch as are agreeable and correſpondent to the conſcientiouſneſſe of his ſpirit, as I might ſhew at large.

4. A fourth end that Satan hath to the wicked in multitude of errours, it is to corrupt them, and defile them more; errour is of a corrupting and defiling nature; Satan labours all he can to corrupt the ſoules of men, and his chiefe deſigne is, to corrupt the fountaine, the underſtanding. He doth not ſo much care for to corrupt a man in his practiſe, as to corrupt a man in his principle, to corrupt a man in his life, as to corrupt a man in his judgement, he knowes an erronious head, will quickly come to a ſinfull life. Mens lives are but ſquared according to notions received, and impreſſions of things retained in the underſtanding. As true notions doe help to frame a good life, ſo p. 44falſe notions are ſerviceable to a bad, the one is the ſeede of a holy, the other of a ſinfull life; ſo that though you could not know truth and falſhood in the ſeede, in notion, yet you might know it in the fruit, in the converſation; Men act ſurely according to their principles received, if there be not a bridle and reſtraint upon them by ſomething without: And therfore if Satan can but corrupt a mans underſtanding, he knowes ſuch a man he will be ſure for him, he will ſin without reluctance, without check or diſturbance. If a man have ſome true notions, or light in his underſtanding, though for the preſent his life be bad, and he be carried away with ſtrength of temptation, yet Satan is not ſo ſure of this man, as of the other, he knowes ſo long as this light is in him, he will not ſin ſo fully, if he ſin, yet not without controle and check; and he is in danger to looſe him at every turne, Satan is ill troubled with a man ſound in judgement, though corrupt in life; either the light in his underſtanding will overcome his darkneſſe in life, or the darkneſſe in his life will overcome the light in his underſtanding, and the combates ſuch a ſoule finds, makes Satan he cannot yet conclude which ſhall have the day.

But now if he can corrupt the underſtanding, if he can pollute the ſpirit, the refined part of man, then he knowes this man is ſure, he can bring this man to maintaine his ſinne, yea and argue for it, and doe all this, with ſhew of religion.

I told you, a corrupt heart will breed a corrupt judgement in time, but a corrupt judgement will preſently work a corrupt life.

A man that hath his underſtanding yet preſerved, he doth not work regularly in a way of ſin, he is off, and on, as his luſt doth prevaile, but now the other he walkes uniforme, he is alwayes the ſame in ſinne.

Againe, the one if his knowledge be not directive, it will be afflictive, if it be not a bridle, it will be a whip, if not a curb, it will be a ſcourge. But now the other, he ſinnes with quiet, he hath ſin'd away the light, and as he hath no light to direct him, ſo he hath none to afflict him. Hence this is the reaſon, you ſee two men, it may be they are both of them unregenerate men, yet one of them if he chance to fall into ſome groſſe ſin, for spirituall ſinnes trouble p. 45him not, if he be drunke or overtaken in ſuch a way, he is ſo troubled and diſquieted, and conſcience is up, and light within him ſtares in his face, and he cannot get his former quiet or dead peace in a long time after.

But now another he is nothing troubled at all, he is drunke, and is at peace and quiet, we heare of no roarings; and what's the reaſon? why becauſe he hath ſinn'd away the common light, he hath ſinn'd away conſcience, he hath no light to direct nor any to afflict him, and if you will not owne light to direct, in time you ſhall have no light to afflict. Sinne is an eating thing, it will eate out all good diſpoſitions, good affections, good inclinations, morall principles, it will eate out the very ſtock of nature, a man may even ſinne away his common principles. Sinne will never leave, till it have eaten out all, and made all ſinne, you ſee the very fences of nature were broken down, the very principles of nature were ſinn'd away in Rom. 1.26.

5. A fifth end that Satan hath in multitude of errours, is to bring mens minds into a diſlike of the things of God, to ſet their spirits at a farther diſtance againſt Religion and the wayes of God. You ſee now it is the fruit of the many errours on foote, it ſets mens hearts at further diſtance againſt the truths of God.

Every truth of God is now entertained with ſuch language as this, we have ſo many opinions, ſo many new fangles now adayes: And even theſe things become a meanes, to fewell and ſtrengthen the diſlike againſt the wayes of God.

Let me tell you this, and let it be a caution now in theſe dayes. Men whoſe hearts are ſet againſt the wayes of God, ſhall be furniſhed with matter enough to bring them into further diſlike daily: If you deſire to be furniſhed with arguments againſt Gods wayes, you ſhall have enough of them to your coſt, you ſhall be furniſhed with enough, but to your further hardening. If you will keepe a rooted diſlike againſt the wayes of God, you ſhall find enough in the world to nouriſh it; men that will be offended, ſhall have offences enough, men that are willing to ſtumble at the wayes of religion, ſhall not want ſtumbling ſtones if Satan can furniſh them. Chriſt himſelfe who was the corner ſtone, elect and precious, yet to the diſobedient p. 46he was a ſtone of ſtumbling and rock of offence, 1 Pet. 2.8. Men willing to be hardened, ſhall have blinding and hardning enough, if the word doe not teach you, works ſhall blind you, if the word doe not ſoften you, works ſhall harden you; if you ſtumble at the word, you ſhall fall at works; if you take offence at the duties the word commands, you ſhall find enough in works and providences in the world to fewel, ſtrengthen, and encreaſe that diſlike in you. You ſee this in 1 Pet. 2.8. Christ was a ſtone of ſtumbling: ſo Religion, the wayes of God, they are a ſtone of ſtumbling, but to whom? why to thoſe that ſtumble at the word firſt. So here, you diſlike the duties and wayes of Religion which the word commands, and this diſlike is but further ſtrengthened by providences in the world, and this is judiciall.

I have done with the firſt, Satans ends to the receivers: I come to the ſecond, to ſhew you how it may ſtand with Satans ends to the promotors.

2. It may ſtand with Satans ends to the promotors, that there ſhould be many errours.

1. To make their condition more unrecoverable, theſe lay men in chaines, this is not naked, but fortified wickedneſſe, on its hard to reclaime this man; where others they lie naked to the powers of the word, they lie open to the batteries of truth; this man is double walled, he is ſtrongly fortified againſt the truth.

Luſts of converſation are eaſily convinced, and eaſily reclaimed, but luſts of the underſtanding, they are hard to be prevailed withall, they are hardeſt to conquer. And therefore the Apoſtle calls ſtrong holds ſtrong reaſonings, 2 Cor. 10.5, 6. ſtrong reaſonings are ſtrong holds againſt the truth, and the work of their own converſion.

Indeed every wicked man hath a houſe againſt Chriſt, and the Devill keepes it, as Chriſt ſaith, the ſtrong man keepes the houſe, nay and he makes every luſt to put on armes to keepe Chriſt out; but now this man he hath a castle againſt Chriſt, a ſtrong hold, he is fortified againſt him, Luk. 11.21, 22.

The houſe is quickly butter'd, though the ſtrong man keepe it, as Chriſt ſaith, when the stronger man comes, then he enters and ſpoiles him of his armour.

p. 47But caſtles, and forts, and ſtrong holds, they are hardly conquered, difficulty overcome. When a Towne lies open and naked, it is eaſie to enter it, but when it is fortified it is hard to conquer. Others they are but naked ſinners, lye open to every ſtroake of the word; but this man is one who is fortified againſt all the aſſaults of it, he hath ſtrong holds, which are raiſed up to oppoſe what ever ſhall aſſault him; he is Sermon proofe, and ordinance proofe, nothing will now worke upon him, he is double walled, he hath not only an inward wall, a wall of luſt and corruption againſt the power of the truth, but he hath an outward wall too, which are his corrupt and erronious reaſonings, too thick to batter, too high for truth to get over; he is a man that ſtands in the forlorne hope, hardly brought off, hardly recovered. It is farre more eaſie to conquer and prevaile with a drunkard, a ſwearer, an uncleane perſon, he hath nothing to oppoſe; indeed every luſt is an armed man, but he hath no forts, nay we have a fort within him, that ſides with us in our batteries; even his own conſcience, and he is not able to ſtand out againſt his own light, to hold out againſt himſelfe: But now the other he is fortified againſt the aſſaults, and lockt up againſt the entertainment of any truth. This is not naked but fortified wickedneſſe, therefore ſo hard to be retained; and therefore may it well ſtand with Satans ends, he knowes every errour will be as a bulwark raiſed up, a fort builded againſt the work of thine own converſion.

2. It may ſtand with Satans ends to the promotors, to encreaſe their ſin, the Devill is not only content to have men ſinners, but he would have them rich in ſinne, faine he would have ſome as bad as himſelfe.

And if any thing will treaſure up ſinne, if any thing will make men as bad as the Devill, it is the ſinnes of the underſtanding, thoſe ſinnes make men the likeſt to the Devill in ſinne of any other, ſinnes of the spirit more then ſinnes of the fleſh, for he hath no body; ſinnes of the underſtanding they are properly the ſinnes of the spirit, which as it is beſt renewed, and therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, Epheſ. 4.23. ſo it is worst corrupted: The underſtanding it is the pureſt, ſpiritualleſt and refineſt part, & corruptio optima p. 48peſſima corruptio, the corruption of the beſt part is the worst and moſt dangerous of corruption, when that which ſhould keep other faculties from corruption, nay recover others out of corruption, is it ſelfe corrupted, how great is that corruption. As Chriſt ſaith of the eye of the body, the light of the body is the eye, if the eye be darke, if that which ſhould give light, be it ſelfe darkneſſe, how great is that darkneſſe? So I may ſay of the underſtanding, **foreign.the glaſſe, the eye of the ſoule; if that be darkned, if that be corrupted, how great is that darkneſſe, how great is that corruption?

Though the ſtreames be corrupt, yet if the fountaine be cleare, there is more hope; but when the fountaine it ſelfe is poiſon'd, when the fountaine is corrupted, the corruption is dangerous. So though a man had many errours in his life and converſation, yet if the underſtanding were kept pure and untainted, if that were kept from corruption, there were yet ſome hope, but when the fountaine of action is corrupt, when the underſtanding is polluted, there is great danger of recovery.

It would be a hard queſtion to reſolve, whether a ſound judgement, though with corrupt converſation (which ſeldome meet, yet if they doe) whether it may not hold weight with a corrupt judgement, though the converſation be not blameable.

Indeed a corrupt heart, and a corrupt life, is not ſo bad as a corrupt head and heart too. Some ſay, the corruption of the underſtanding, is the worſt corruption, though minoris infamiae, yet majoris culpae, though of leſſe ſcandall, yet more fault. And the grounds might be, in regard that the corruption of the understanding, doth make men likeſt to the Devill, and may ſeeme to be moſt oppoſite to God, God is a Spirit, and the corruption of the ſpirit, muſt needs be moſt oppoſite to God.

Indeed were the converſation ſinfull, and the ſpirit not corrupted, then were not ſinne in converſation ſo oppoſite to God, as errour in underſtanding, but both are corrupted in wicked men, the practiſe and the principle, affection and action, and therefore to ſay that the corruption of the underſtanding is moſt oppoſite to God, I dare not, for as errour in the underſtanding is oppoſite to Gods truth, ſo ſinne in affection is oppoſite to Gods holineſſe.

p. 49And yet there is thus much ſeemes to ſpeake for it, that the corruption of the underſtanding is moſt oppoſite to God, becauſe, the underſtanding is not only our spirit, but it is the ſpirit of our ſpirit, as the Apoſtle, Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, Epheſ. 4.23.

But however though that ſhould not hold, yet we may ſay, that ſinne in converſation, is not ſo bad as ſinne in affection, nor ſinne in affection and converſation, ſo bad as errour in the underſtanding, at least to a mans ſelfe.

1. Becauſe the one doth not fight againſt the meanes of his converſion, as the other doth.

2. Nor is he ſo hard to be reclaimed, and recovered out of his condition as the other is. I ſpeake after the manner of men, for it is all one when Almighty grace comes, that knowes no difficulty, all is then alike to Almighty power.

3. Errour in principle, will breed errour in practiſe, and if it do, then will a man run headlong and violently in wayes of ſin, if the underſtanding were not corrupted, it would be as a bridle of reſtraint, that our paſſions and affections could not drive ſo furiouſly in a way of ſinne, this would curb us, and check us, but when that is corrupted, then the reines are laid upon the neck of our furious paſſions and affections, and a man goes headlong in ſinne Jehu's pace. When that which ſhould be our bridle becomes our ſpurre, when that which ſhould reſtraine us, becomes it ſelfe an inſtigation to ſinne: ſuch a man he ſinnes twice at once, he never ſcores but twice at once. While the understanding was preſerved, it held the hand, it awed the ſpirit, reſtrained practiſe, but now he ſinnes fully; he ſinnes fully that ſinnes with understanding, as well as with his affection; and that man ſinnes with his whole heart, his whole ſoule, that man ſinnes twice at once, though he did wickedly before, yet his underſtanding did not aſſent to it, did not allow it, he did not ſay it was well done: but now the underſtanding allowes it, and aſſents to it, his life ſinnes, his affections, his underſtanding and all ſinnes; heart and head are joyned, all ſinnes and nothing ſtands out, and this man muſt need fill his meaſure quickly, this man will quickly have done, he ripens with a witneſſe, this doth aedificare ad gehennam, build up to hell with a ſtrong hand: p. 50and ſo in the iſſue a corrupt life may hold weight with a corrupt underſtanding.

Beſides, a corrupt life is not ſo dangerous to others, men are not corrupted by practiſe, ſo much as by error, errour in converſation, doth not prevaile with men ſo much as errour in judgement, this ſeduceth and drawes many away; It is more deſtructive and dangerous, then ſinne in converſation, men may more eaſily diſcerne evill in practiſe and converſation and ſo avoid it, then they can errour in principle, and therefore this is moſt dangerous for the corruption of others.

A third end Satan hath to the Promoters.3. It ſtandeth with Satans ends, to increaſe their torment: As it ſuits with his end to increaſe their ſin, ſo it ſuits with his end to increaſe their torment too. Satan is not content to bring wicked men to hell, but he would have them as low in hell as he can, faine he would have ſome as miſerable as himſelfe; as he labours to make them as ſinfull, ſo he deſires to have them as miſerable as himſelfe is.

And this bids faire for it; Divines ſay of Pauls glory, it receives augmentation, and is increaſed every day, as his labours and paines are fruitfull; We may as well ſay the torment of wicked men is increaſed and augmented, as their errours doe take effect and proſper in the poiſoning and corrupting of ſoules, which ſhould make men beware, as of what they vent in life, ſo of what they leave after death.

The parable of Dives ſpeakes ſomething to this opinion, he deſir'd that Moſes would ſend Lazarus to goe and preach unto his brethren, that they might avoid that place of torment, why we cannot think there is charity in hell? it was not out of love to their ſoules, but love to himſelfe, becauſe he had corrupted them with his life and practiſe before, and had left a bad example behind him which they followed, and therefore he deſired that they might, if not be ſaved (for that I think a damned ſoule cannot deſire) yet that they might not for his cauſe and example be brought into that place of torment, becauſe this would be the increaſe of his torment too; as he was guilty by his example and practiſe of the murthering and undoing of their ſoules. It ſhould be a caveat to you how you live and walke, leaſt the example of the husband, the father, the maſter, p. 51be the undoing of the wife, the child, the ſervant, and the increaſe of your torment too: Your examples will prevaile more to their undoing, then all our rules for their ſaving.

It is a fearefull thing by our examples to draw others to deſtruction; when your children and ſervants ſhall ſee you walke in a way of ſin, they themſelves are drawne aſide and undone by your examples. There are many have ſo much in them, that though they will ſweare, and drinke themſelves, yet they will not allow it in their children, their ſervants, but if thou wouldſt not have them walke in the ſame way of ſin, leave not ſuch a ſinfull example behind thee. But this by the way. It ſuits with Satans ends, that men ſhould broach erronious opinions for the increaſe of their torments: Which it doth not only directly and in it ſelfe, but indirectly and by conſequent, contracting the guilt of ſoule murther from thoſe who are undone with their precepts and poiſonous doctrines. And thus Satan deales with all his ſervants, they who doe him moſt ſervice, ſhall have moſt torment, thoſe who have been his statists, deſigned all for him, or his engineeres to act all for him, this is the reward he gives them, greater torment, ſoarer damnation; the deepeſt cellars, and darkeſt vaults of hell, are reſerved for ſuch perſons.

But miſtake me not, I ſpeake not this of all kind of errours in judgement, what man is he that erreth not? All errours are ſinfull, but all errours are not damning: all errours are hurtfull, but all errours are not deſtructive and undoing errours. I told you there were ſome errours, which were building errours, and ſome which were fundamentall errours: as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, 1 Cor. 3.10, 11, 12, &c. In the one the work ſhall be burnt, in the other the workeman? one ſhall be ſaved, but ſo ſaved as by fire, the other ſhall be destroyed in fire, work and workman, perſon and errours ſhall periſh together, 1 Cor. 3.13, 14, 15. And thus I have done with two of the firſt generals propounded, and ſhew'd you how it may stand with Gods ends, and how with Satans ends, to ſuffer errours abroad.

We come now to the third, how it may ſtand with mans ends; It may then ſtand with mans ends alſo, that there ſhould be multitude of dangerous and erronious opinions.

p. 52The men with whoſe ends it may ſtand, may be diſtinguiſhed into three kinds. 1. The contrivers. 2. The actors. 3. The abettors. I ſhall only ſpeake to two of them.

3. It may ſtand with mans ends1. Thoſe that are the Contrivers of this deſigne to ſet on foot errours, it may ſtand with their ends. There are two maine ends the common adverſary hath: 1. To blaſt the truth. 1. To divide the profeſſors of it.

1. Their end is to blaſt the truth, to bring the truth of religion into diſreſpect among men, to render the profeſſors giddy and unſtable, and their profeſſion unſound and unorthodox.

Doe not our enemies within our ſelves take advantage to cry down the truth, to blaſt reformation, and to bring religion into diſreſpect by the multitude of opinions that are abroad. It may be they themſelves have been the envious men, have ſowen tares, and whe… they have done, they tell us it is becauſe the watchmen (who were ever aſleepe) are taken away; doe they not take occaſion to blaſt the truth, and to ſay, that their oppugners, are a ſort of giddy and unſtable, empty and illiterate men, who are certaine in nothing but uncertainty, and stedfaſt in nothing but unſtedfaſtneſſe. Anabaptiſts, Browniſts, Antinomians—

And is it not the ſame argument their elder brethren hold forth, doe not the Papiſts argue our religion to be unſound, and indeavour to bring the truth into diſreſpect, by telling men of ſo many opinions, ſo much difference as there is among thoſe who are the prefeſſors of it? doe they not ſay, our religion is divided into factions, Lutherans, Calviniſts, Arminians, Socinians, ſome of which differences they themſelves have contrived and ſet on foote, to bring religion into diſreſpect, and to render it of leſſe credit, by reaſon of the multitude of diviſions among us, though all agree in this, that theirs is falſe and erronious.

2. A ſecond end they have, and that is to divide the profeſſors of the truth.Si ſumus inſeperabiles ſumus in ſuperabiles. If we are unſeparable, we are unconquerable, and therefore it is the Machivillian deſigne, divide & vince, divide and conquer, and hence it ſuits well with their deſigne, that there ſhould be a multitude of opinions, that thereby the profeſſors of the truth, might be divided amongſt themſelves. It was frequently obſerved in the raigne of the p. 53Biſhops, that thoſe that were called non-conformiſts, were farre worſe handled, then thoſe who were called Browniſts, one would think this ſtrange, that they ſhould deale better with them, that ſaid they were no Church, then with thoſe who ſaid they were a Church but corrupted, that they who cried their government down for Antichriſtian, ſhould fare better then they who only ſaid it wanted reformation: what ſhould be the reaſon of it? ſure they were greater enemies that ſtrooke againſt their being, then they were who deſired only reformation not unbeing? But here was the buſineſſe, they liked diviſion well enough, and they feared one ſide, it was too great, but they ſlighted the other, and therefore would rather countenance them in deſigne, then ſuppreſſe them, becauſe all this ſerved to weaken them that were their terrour.

And in this alſo they agree with them of Rome, who ſend forth their Emiſſaries, Jeſuits, Prieſts, who ſhall turne Socinians, &c. and other opinions, on purpoſe to divide the reformed Churches among themſelves, that ſo they may drive their mils with our breath, and uſe our hands to doe their work, and this deſigne hath been too ſucceſſefull, in the Netherlands, eſpecially in Socinianiſme, which was broached as is reported by a Jeſuit, on purpoſe to divide them; So you ſee it ſtands with mans ends, 1. The Contrivers.

2. It ſtands with mans end, the broachers and actors of this: S^t John divides all that is in the world into luſts of the fleſh, luſt of the eye, and pride of life, 1 Joh. 2.16. And I may ranke all the men in it into theſe three. 1. Some are proud and ambitious. 2. Some are worldly and covetous. 3. Some are profane and luxurious or voluptuous.

1. In caſe a man be a proud and ambitious man, it will ſuite with his temper and his ends, to broach erronious opinions, to make himſelfe a Rabbi, one greater in eſteeme, honour and applauſe then other men: he would be taken notice of for one to ſee further then others, one that hath greater light communicated to him then others have; he is a man that deſires to be ſingular, and loves no greatneſſe but what is gotten by making others little, nor no eſteeme, but what is wrought out of the diſeſteeme of others; he is a man that loves to inrich himſelfe p. 54by making others poore, and to ſwell himſelfe and make himſelfe ſome body, by making others no body, he cannot be taken notice of in the crowde, and therefore he thinks himſelfe best ſeen, when he goes alone: Of this ſpirit was Diotrephes, who you reade of in Joh. Epiſt. 3. Who becauſe he could not be great enough, ſubordinate to the Apoſtles, for ſaith the text, he loved the preeminence. Therefore he endeavoured to blaſt the Apoſtles, and make himſelfe great, by making them little among the people, he laboured to work up his own eſteeme, by bringing them into diſeſteeme. Joh. Epiſt. 3. ver. 9, 10. Diotrephes who loveth to have the preeminence, and prated againſt them with malicious words, and not content therwith, &c. And therefore it is hard for a proud man to find out truth. God ſaith, the humble he will teach, and Chriſt ſaith, how can you beleeve when ye ſeeke honour one of another; ſo how ſhould you diſcerne of truth, when you carry an eye to your own applauſe and glory, and not the glory of God.

2. In caſe a man be worldly and covetous, it may stand with his ends too, by this meanes to enrich himſelfe, and fetch maintenance out of the very heart and bowels of truth, ſuch men ſeeke their own, not the things of Chriſt. And this is the ground of many errours in the world; if you looke into Popery, you may r…ſolve many of their tenets into this, their covetous deſires of gaine; could they be ſo ſimple to hold ou… ſo many childiſh opinions, viz. Purgatory, Dirges, Prayers for the dead, Pennances, Pilgrimages, Pardons, Indulgences, &c. but that theſe bring in aboundance of wealth into their coffers; all is to be ſold at Rome, Romae omnia venalia.they will ſell Chriſt or any thing for gaine; and you ſee men will pleade for errours, they will maintaine theſe, becauſe theſe maintaine them, by this craft ſaith Demetrius we have all our gaine. See 2 Pet. 2.1, 2, 3. where he ſpeakes of ſuch as make merchandiſe of mens ſoules.

3. In caſe a man be profane and voluptuous: It will ſtand with his ends to broach errours, that he may more ſecurely ſin, truth will not prevaile with him to leave his ſin, and therefore his ſinne prevailes with him to leave the truth, while he entertain'd the truth, it would not ſuffer him to live quietly in his ſins, it would be ever checking and reproving of him, he could p. 55not ſin without diſturbance, and therefore he muſt either foregoe the truth, or his ſin, but his ſin he cannot part withall, and he now takes up ſuch an opinion, as he may keepe his ſin without diſturbance, he may ſin without trouble. I have heard of one, that went on in a way of ſin, and would not be reclaimed, though conſcience held out to him, that if he did perſiſt in that way, he was ſure to periſh: But for all this he held up ſin, and therefore he could not long hold up truth, it was impoſſible that theſe two ſhould ſtand togther, he loved ſin and could not leave it, and he ſaw the truth flew in his face, which told him that he ſhould periſh if he ſin'd, thereupon he tooke up an opinion, which was ſaid to be Origens, that after a 1000. yeares torment in hell, all men ſhall be ſaved, and now he ſinned with more quiet: Others that come to this, that none ſhall be damned, God never made his creature to damne his creature. Theſe with many others, might be named, all which are taken up, that themſelves might ſin without check and diſturbance.

And Chriſtians take heed, you have ſome truths, ſome light of God, and you walke in wayes of ſin, notwithſtanding all that light. If you ſin againſt that light, you will ſin away that light, if the truth will not move you to forſake your ſin, your ſin will prevaile with you to forſake the truth.

If a man were able to enter into the heart of an old ſinner, an old worldling, he ſhould ſee what a pack of unſound tenents he hath gotten up; what ſubterfugies and fig-leaves he hath ſowed together, what a body of baſe divinity he hath gotten up together, and all this that he might ſin ſecurely and be ſecure in ſin, he that converſes with them ſhall have experience of the truth of all this.

And as it may ſtand with the ends of the Contrivers and Actors, ſo with the ends of the Abettors, which I might inſiſt upon at large, but I chooſe rather to conclude this firſt great generall which was propounded, viz. how it may ſtand with Gods ends, with Satans, with a mans own ends, of which I have ſpoken in each particular for clearer and fuller ſatisfaction.

We will now come to the ſecond generall thing propounded, viz.The ſecond queſtion.

Q. 2. What may be the grounds of abounding errours now p. 56at the end of the world? And indeed the queſtion may well be asked, for at the end of the world it is propheſied, that there ſhall be many glorious truths diſcovered; it is ſaid of theſe times, that the knowledge of God ſhall abound, even as the waters that cover the ſea; And it is propheſied, that truths ſealed and before hid, ſhall be then manifeſted and revealed, there ſhall not only be a clearer diſcovery of things already revealed, but a fuller diſcovery, a revelation of thoſe things were not known, as in Dan. 12.4. Daniel had propheſied of the latter dayes, and he is commanded to ſhut up the words, and to ſeale the Booke, even to the time of the end, when many ſhall run too and fro, and knowledge ſhall be increaſed: And Zechariah tells us, that he that is feeble ſhall be as David, Zech 12.8. And to this purpoſe I have read ſome that apply that place Rev. 1.13. where Chriſt is deſcribed to walke among the golden Candleſticks,Weemes. and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. In the old Teſtament they were girt about the middle (ſaith my Authour,) here about the paps, which ſhewes ſaith he, the Church is growing up nearer and nearer to perfection: And without controverſie, there are glorious things ſpoken of theſe latter dayes, not only glorious things to be done, for God hath reſerved moſt of his viſible glory to the end of the world, but glorious things to be revealed and made known. And therefore how darkneſſe ſhould be at that time, when ſuch aboundance of light is propheſied of; how errour and abounding errour, at ſuch a time when truth and abounding truth ſhall be made known, here is a wonder!

But Chriſt puts it out of queſtion, that this ſhould be at the end of the world, when many ſhall come in his name, and ſay I am Chriſt.

And therefore we will enquire, what may be the grounds that now in our times, which are towards the end of all things, that there ſhould be ſuch an aboundance of dangerous and erroneous opinions. It is ſaid indeed that at the end of the world Satan ſhall be looſed, and he ſhall goe and deceive the nations, Rev. 20.7. But I conceive that time of binding and looſing is not yet come. Satan is not yet bound, and therefore he hath yet liberty, though the liberty of his chaine only, and goes now p. 57about, ſo farre as God will give him permiſſion to be a ſpirit of ſeduction and deluſion in the hearts of men. And therefore,

1. The firſt great ground of abounding errours now, I conceive to be Satan, who is called the god of this world, and is the Prince of darkneſſe, and therfore is the patron of errour.

As all truth is light, ſo all errour is darkneſſe: as God is the Father of light and truth, ſo is Satan the grand-father of darkneſſe and errour, who hath long walked as a Prince of darkneſſe, and hath ruled and raigned in the darkeſt times and places, and in the darkneſſe of our underſtanding, till at laſt the glorious truth and light of the Gospel hath diſcovered him: and therefore from a Prince of darkneſſe, he labours now to turne to an Angel of light; and ſo ſeduce thoſe by a falſe light, which he could not prevaile withall as a Prince of darkneſſe. As he was a Prince of da…kneſſe, ſo he blinded mens eyes, leſt the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt ſhould ſhine unto them, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 4.4. Whom the god of this world hath blinded, lest the glorious Gospel of Chriſt ſhould ſhine unto them. But as he is an Angel of light, ſo he doth not blind, but enlighten men with a falſe light, which enlightning is a blinding: As the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15. where he tels them of falſe Apoſtles, deceitfull workers, transforming themſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt: And no marvell ſaith he, for Satan himſelf is transformed into an Angel of light. He had long time been ſucceſſefull with the Gentiles as a Prince of darkneſſe, but he could prevaile in that ſhape no longer: and therfore he comes now to deceive them as an Angel of light: In the firſt he blinds, in the ſecond he deceives; in the firſt he is an oppoſer, in this a ſeducer.

And here is a great deale in this, Satan transforming himſelfe into an Angel of light. Why how would an Angel of light come to win you to the truth, would he tell you that this is a truth of God, a glorious truth, would he ſet out the danger of rejecting it, the bleſſedneſſe of entertaining it? would he commend the truth from the effects and operations of it, if it were entertained, how it would make us wiſe, direct us in ſervice, be helpfull to our walking, deſtructive to our luſts. Why for ought I know Satan may uſe all the ſame arguments and motives to p. 58prevaile with us to the entertainment of errour, what ever a bleſſed Angel of light might uſe as an argument or motive to prevaile with us, to cloſe with truth, that may Satan uſe too, to perſwade with us to entertaine an errour, otherwiſe he could not transforme himſelfe into an Angel of light, if he did not act and deale with us, ſo as it is not poſſible by his acting to diſcerne him from an Angel of light, how could he be ſaid to be transformed into an Angel of light, if men might ſay this is the Prince of darkneſſe. And the ſame you ſee of thoſe falſe Apoſtles and deceitfull workers, who yet transformed themſelves, ſaith he, into the Apoſtles of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 11.13. that is not barely giving out that they were the Apoſtles of Chriſt, as Rev. 2.2. you reade of ſome that ſaid they were Apoſtles but were found lyers, but it was a transforming of themſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt, and would preach errour, as the Apoſtles preached truth, and might uſe the ſame arguments, motives, perſwaſions which the Apoſtles did for the entertainment of truth, for the embracing of errour. Chriſt tells us the ſame here, many ſhall come in my name and ſay, loe here is Chriſt.

And this is the firſt ground of abounding errours at this time, the malice of Satan who is the envious man, who then loves to ſow his tar…s, when God is ſowing wheate, who then loves to communicate errours, when God is diſcovering truth, and perhaps will uſe the ſame arguments and motives to perſwade to one, which God doth to prevaile to the other, nay and how farre he may convey falſe light, as God doth true, I know not.

2. A ſecond ground of abounding errours may be the corruption of mens hearts; Satan is the father, a corrupt heart the mother, and errour the daughter, Satan conveyes the ſeed, the heart is the wombe, which being formed and cheriſhed there its full moneths, at laſt the monster is brought forth, There is not only ſeminarium hoſtis required to the birth of errour, but partus cordis, not only the ſuggeſtion of Satan, but the conception of the heart; we ſay ſeed will never grow in a living body, unleſſe there be a wombe to nouriſh it; ſo Satan could not prevaile, he could not ſet afoote his errours, if he found not corruption in our hearts to receive and p. 59cheriſh them. And therefore as Chriſt ſaid,Quid tibi facturu… eſt tentator, te vince & vict… eſt Satan, Aug. the Prince of the world commeth but ſhall find nothing in me. Indeed its true he ſeduced Eve, who yet had no ſin in her, upon which hath been raiſed many queſtions, how Eve could conſent to a ſinfull action, when yet there was no ſin in her, conſent implies ſin; the Apoſtle tels us Satan beguiled her, he was too crafty for her, he deluded her, he got her eare, and by that stole into her heart, he got her eye, and by that worked into her ſpirit: ſhe was good, but not immutably good, ſhe was wiſe, but knew not all; Satan therefore worked into her, either making uſe of her naturals, which in themſelves were not ſinfull; making uſe of her eye, her eare, her naturall deſires after further perfection, or elſe being too hard for her by his ſophiſtry, who was the wily ſerpent, and that's implied, Gen. 3.12. and 1 Tim. 2.14. That ſhe taſted of that God had forbidden, was her ſin, but yet there was ſin before; That ſhe looked on it was ſin, not ſimply, for ſhe might looke upon all the fruit in the garden; but looking upon it, in the devils glaſſe as he diſcovered it, that worked into her heart, and then her heart conſents. But how farre Satan may deale with one without ſin, is a queſtion; he ſeduced her to looke, ſeduced her in looking, or by looking. Satan gets [into] us, but came [to] Chriſt and Eve, in a bod…ly ſhape, he could find no footing in them, becauſe there was nothing of his own, there was no ſin.

But to returne, that is another ground of abounding errours, the corruption of the heart. A man may be carried away with an errour, and yet not have a corrupt heart, but errour muſt needs proceed from the corruption of the heart.foreign, Minimè malus, inn… cens. Decipiunt animos innocentum. I ſay he may be led away, and yet not have a corrupt heart; it may be he hath nothing but honeſt ends, and honeſt grounds in the entertainment of it: The Apoſtle tels us of ſuch, Rom. 16.18. by good words and faire speeches, they deceive the hearts of the ſimple; the word ſignifies errour of them not evill, but though the hearts doe not argue a corrupt heart, yet it diſcovers corruption in the heart, and thats the ſecond ground.

3. A third ground why there are ſo many abounding errours, is mens readineſſe to drink in every opinion, to entertaine every thing that comes under the name of truth to them, without p. 60triall and examination of it; Men that have their hands open to take all, may receive falſe coyne as well as true: we ſay all is not gold that gliſters; ſo men that are ready to entertaine what is ſuggeſted to them under the name of truth, may take in errour as well as truth. It is good and our duty to have a preparedneſſe of ſpirit, and a ready dispoſition of ſoule to entertaine every truth of God that is diſcovered to us: But Satan doth abuſe this good diſpoſition, oftentimes deluding us, and turning errours on us, with a ſhew and name of truth.

And there may be many grounds, why thoſe who have yet a preparedneſſe of ſpirit to entertaine truth and all truth, and nothing but truth alone may be carried away with an errour.

1. Want of triall, we take in all, and ſwallow all as they are repreſented to us, without any debate, or any ſearch and examination of them. It is an Apoſtolicall injunction, that we ſhould not beleeve every spirit, and that we are to prove all things, and then to hold faſt to that is truth, that is, hold faſt to that which upon triall, upon examination, is really a truth of God, the want of which is the cauſe why thoſe who have a preparedneſſe of heart to entertaine truth alone, and would not for a world give entertainment to errour, are yet led aſide with errour.

I have told you a man may be too quick in rejecting of an errour, as well as too ſlow in receiving of a truth; that errour is too ſoone rejected, that is rejected without triall, without evidence that it is an errour. You think it unreaſonable that a man ſhould be condemn'd before his triall, though the man may deſerve to die, yet it is to be made evident, otherwiſe we may condemne the innocent. So though an opinion be erronious, yet let it have its triall, otherwiſe you may reject a truth for an errour: Certainly, as truth is not to be entertained and received ſleightly, ſo errour is not to be rejected careleſſely, before you know it errour; the choiceſt truths of the Goſpel have been rejected for errour, and yet are bleſſed truths. We are to reject errour as we receive truth, not paſſionately, but rationally, not with paſſion, but reaſon, not careleſſely, but religiouſly, becauſe otherwiſe you may receive errour for truth, and may reject truth for errour.

p. 61Now I ſay, many for want of triall and examination of things, may give entertainment to an errour, though they have a preparedneſſe of ſpirit to embrace nothing but the truth.

2. Another ground, why thoſe who have a preparedneſſe to entertaine truth, may yet be carried away with errour, is, they want knowledge to try and prove, and alſo want judgement to determine what is errour, and what is truth upon their triall. Some errours that are very obvious to be diſcerned, but ſome are very ſubtile and intricate, yea and carry very ſpecious ſhewes, hold out glorious pretences. For the firſt ſort of errours, theſe Gods people are ſeldome intangled withall, but now for the other, which are more ſubtile, and carry high pretexts, theſe few have knowledge to try them, or upon their triall, judgement to determine: The beſt of us we know but in part here; and as for the moſt, they are but children and babes in knowledge; we are not children in humility, in innocencie, but we are like them in knowledge, we know but little, and therefore may be over-reached with the ſophiſtry of Satan, with the wiles of men.

3. Beſides, this good dispoſition which is in the hearts of Saints to receive all truths that God ſhall diſcover, it may be abuſed, yea and which is a wonder, be made ſerviceable to let in an errour: that it is abuſed there is nothing more plaine, Rom. 16.18. Satan comes and works on that, corrupt men they come and work on that good principle too; they aske you, have you not a preparation of heart to receive every truth of God? how dare you then reject this? how dare you ſhut your eyes againſt ſuch an evident light? how dare you turne your back againſt ſuch a cleare manifeſtation of God? thus it is often abuſed. Nay and ſometimes this diſpoſition is made ſerviceable, for the introducing and letting in an errour.

This preparedneſſe of heart to receive all truth, works a fearfullneſſe of rejecting truth if it be diſcovered to us. It may be there is ſuch and ſuch a thing held out to us, and it is well managed, ſtrongly carried on, inſomuch that it carries great appearance of truth, now the ſoule who is prepared to receive all truth, and fearfull to reject it, he ſtands hovering, he knowes not what to doe, he cannot cloſe with it, he dare not reject it; p. 62but at laſt upon that appearance of truth it hath, and that feare in him to reject truth, he gives entertainment to it, though it be an errour and not a truth.

Thus the feare of rejecting of a truth, may be a help to bring in an errour. It is wonderfull to ſee how Satan abuſeth theſe two diſpoſitions, fear and tenderneſſe of ſpirit.

1. Fear, it ſhould be a fence to preſerve us from errour, but Satan often makes it a means to keep out truth; fear is oftentimes a cauſe to keep us in errour, as well as a fence to preſerve us from errour. Many are afraid of new opinions, not becauſe they are errours, but becauſe they are new. I ſay fear is a means in many to keep out truth, as well as to fence out errour: It ſhould only be the guard of the ſoule to keep out errour, but Satan makes uſe of it to keep out truth, and to let in errour.

2. And as he abuſeth fear, ſo doth he that tenderneſſe of ſpirit: It would be ſtrange to tell you, how Satan doth take occaſion to enſlave a ſoule by his very tenderneſſe; if the chaine of ſin be broken, he labours to make a chaine of our graces; if he cannot keep us in bondage by our ſins, he labours to bring us into bondage by our graces. You will think this ſtrange, but there is nothing more evident in men of tender ſpirits at their firſt bringing in; when they are tender of every thing, they are tender of ſuch things which indeed is their bondage to be tender of; they are tender not only of things indifferent, which are of a temporall nature, but of things lawfull and commendable. A thouſand caſes there are wherewith Satan doth perplex their ſoules, they can doe nothing now without a temptation, and moſt of temptations are raiſed upon this ground, and helped on by this advantage, their tenderneſſe.

Though a tender ſpirit be a bl…ſſed thing, the greateſt mercy on this ſide Heaven, a true tenderneſſe to ſin and for ſin, yet this dispoſition may be a diſtemper as well as a grace, there may be an exceſſe in it, it may fall into nothing but ſcrupuloſities and meere queſtionings without actings. As there is a ſin in defect, the want of it, when men will ruſh upon actions without warrant, ſo may there be a ſin in exceſſe, when men will doe nothing for ſcruple.

p. 63Satan makes uſe of this diſpoſition; 1. Sometimes to fence out truth, they dare not entertaine ſuch a thing for fear it is an errour. 2. Sometimes he makes uſe of it to let in errour, they dare not reject ſuch a thing, for fear it ſhould be a truth. 3. Sometimes he makes uſe of it to overdoe actions. 4. Sometimes to underdoe them. 5. Sometimes to ſcruple the doing of them. 6. Nay to neglect the doing of them; he will prevaile it may be with a man not to pray, becauſe he ſins in praying, there is ſo much deadneſſe, coldneſſe, &c. that he will tell you it is better not pray at all then ſo to pray; or prevaile with a man not to preach, becauſe he ſins in preaching, becauſe there is much pride, oſtentation, hypocriſie in his preaching: So not to give almes, not to converſe with men, not to ſerve God with his talents, becauſe ſo much pride in the exerciſe of his guifts, ſo much oſtentation in his almes, &c. thus he will labour and ſometimes prevailes to bury up a mans talents, and make men unſerviceable to God, or to their brethren.

You had need to know the wiles of Satan, that you may avoid them. In vain is the net ſpread in the ſight of any bird, ſaith Solomon: ſo in vain will he attempt this way, when you once know his wiles.

This I inſiſt the longer on, knowing it of great uſe in theſe times, leſt otherwiſe Satan make uſe either of your tenderneſſe and fear, to fence out truth, or to let in errour; I ſee many precious diſpoſitions in many Chriſtians, you have had it preſſed on you to ſtand ready for the entertainment of every truth, to cloſe with every truth of God, it hath taken good eff ct in you; many there are of you who are wrought up to a preparedneſſe to follow Chriſt in any way. And I ſee this diſpoſition in you, and our next care muſt be to preſerve this diſpoſition, that this readineſſe to follow Chriſt be not abuſed to this, to follow a stranger inſtead of Chriſt. Indeed you ſhall not follow the voice of a ſtranger in deſtroying errours, in undoing wayes, ſo Chriſt ſaith, but you may follow the voice of a ſtranger, in ſinfull, in corrupting errours for a time. Gods children are free from damning errours, but none are free from defiling errours; poſſibly the beſt may be miſled, and the tenderneſſe of the moſt tender is in danger of being abuſed, eſpecially when errour p. 64comes not only under the notion of truth, but under great appearance of truth, when it is held forth, Loe here is Christ, this is Chriſts mind, and Christs will, this is a truth of God. And therefore you had need to beware, take heed that no man deceive you, you have good diſpoſitions in you, but you had need to get knowledge, leſt thoſe good diſpoſitions be abuſed either to the rejecting of truth, or to the entertainment of errour: either to keep you in the conditions you are, without deſire to enquire further; or to hinder you from embracing any more of Gods mind if it be revealed, for feare of being led away with errour, or to make you to embrace errour, for feare of rejecting a truth.

It is good to be as ſoft wax if there were no ſtamp, no impreſſion to be received but Gods and truth; but ſoft wax is dangerous, when ſo many falſe ſtamps and corrupt impreſſions are abroad. Oh that God would make us wax to receive every impreſſion of truth, but rocks of flint againſt any impreſſion of errour. Oh that he would open our eyes broad to receive and let in any light of God in theſe knowing times, and ſhut our eyes againſt any errour or falſe light. Oh that he would give us a preparedneſſe of ſpirit to embrace any thing of him, and a heart lockt up againſt any thing which is not of God. Oh that he would make us tender of rejecting truth, but harden us more againſt any way of errour; that he would make us fearfull to reject truth, but valiant alſo to reſiſt errour in our generation.

4. A fourth ground of abounding errour, hath been the want of holy diſcipline, and a regular way for the ſuppreſſing of errour. Certainly ſuch a bleſſing goes along with the right adminiſtration of the government of Chriſt, as to ſuppreſſe errours, and reforme the erronious.

Indeed a bad diſcipline, as it doth reſtrain and ſuppreſſe many glorious truths, for certainly truth hath but little ſhadow, little ſhelter from a corrupt diſcipline, I ſay as it doth ſuppreſſe and reſtraine many a truth, ſo it may be a reſtraint unto ſome errours, it may reſtraine ſome upon pollitick grounds, but it can reforme none; We have had a bad, a corrupt diſcipline, ſuch an one as hath been a mother, a nurſe to many corrupt and ſinfull opinions, both in d…ctrine and in worſhip.

p. 651. In doctrine, witneſſe thoſe groſſe points of Arminianiſme vented with licenſe, nay of Popery too, as was evidenced in the Miniſters Remonstrance, and that out of many books put out by publike licenſe; viz, Auricu…ar confeſſion, Authoritative abſolution, Prayers for the dead, &c.

2. In worſhip too, witneſſe all their Altars, Crucifixes, Adoration toward the Eaſt, Pictures, Images; the Table was an Altar, the Miniſter was a Prieſt, the Sacrament was a Sacrifice, and there wanted nothing to be added to it but the name of Maſſe, and to call it the Sacrifice of the Maſſe. It hath been a fence indeed againſt truth, but a gap to let in errour; a naturall mother to corrupt opinions, but a step-mother to ſound doctrine. Indeed, ſome errours had their frownes, few their blowes, them that had, it was not as they were errours, but as the perſons which held them were enemies to them.

This I ſpeake the rather, becauſe men ſay it was better in the Biſhops time then now, for then there were not ſo many errours; I ſay there were, yea and ſuch as were more dangerous, being foundation errours, ſuch as oppoſed the power of godlineſſe, ſuch as were flatly oppoſite to the offices of Chriſt, ſuch as were deſtructive to the true religion, and ſuch I know none on foot now; if there were, yet they had their being then, and their corruption in doctrine and diſcipline, hath been a great occaſion to the breeding and begetting of them; if you ſay though they were in that time, yet they durſt not appeare: I may ſay againe in anſwer to that;

1. There were other errours farre more dangerous, that durſt appeare both in Preſſe and Pulpit.

2. Againe as thoſe errours durſt not appeare, ſo neither was the truth ſuffered to appeare; for one errour which they ſuppreſſed, they held down many a truth; if they ſuppreſſed errour, they murthered truth, and ſtifled it.

3. If they ſuppreſſed any, yet they reformed none; It is the proper work of the diſcipline of Chriſt, rather to reforme then to restraine, rather to amend then to ſuppreſſe, at leaſt to reforme with reſtraining, and to reſtrain together with reforming. Indeed to ſuppreſſe by reforming and amending, and not by p. 66ſilencing and ſmothering them, which was their way, and the great occaſion of the ſwelling and not the abating of them. As it is with Rivers, the ſtopping of them, doth but ſwell them and increaſe them the more, it doth not any way leſſen and abate them.

Certainly the way of Chriſt to deale with errours, is to endeavour to reforme them, to amend them, to preach the word boldly, to convince gainſayers, to admoniſh, to exhort, to reprove, to mourne over them; and when nothing will doe, to ej…ct them and caſt them out, Tit. 3.10. and when that is done, not to leave them, but to labour ſtill to convince them, to mourne over them. Government as Chriſts doth not reach to crumenall or corporall puniſhment, either to the puniſhment of the body or the ſtate, as I ſhall ſhew at large hereafter when I come to ſet down the wayes which are left us in the word to reſtraine, to reduce men from errour.

Now then the way which they went, ſilencing, ſuſpending, impriſoning, fining of men, whipping undoing men; Certainly was not the way of Christ, for the reforming of errours;**Suadenda fides, non imponenda, ſaith Bern. men are rather to be perſwaded then commanded, rather to be dealt withall by the authority of God then of man, which is as nothing in heavenly things when God concurres not; but this I ſhall ſpeake unto at large in the laſt queſtion, and therfore will proceed no farther now. This is the fourth ground of abounding errours in our dayes, even the want of the diſcipline of Chriſt, the want of regular proceedings in ſeverall Congregations and Synods for the reforming of them.

5. A fift ground is, the too much connivance, nay inc…uragement that they find among the people of God, this is a great ground of broaching opinions. We ſay a receiver makes a thiefe; your readineſſe to comply with opinions, and to receive all, doth give great incouragement to broach them; It was that which the Prophet complained of in his time, Jer. 5.31. The Prophets propheſie falſely, and the Prieſts bear rule by their meanes, and my people love to have it ſo, and what will be the end thereof: ô quam conſentaneum, cries one in the reigne of the Biſhops, how did the Prophets or thoſe Emiſſaries, Preachers, they had ſent forth, propheſie falſely, and how did p. 67the Prieſts bear rule by that meanes? they held up the standing and dignity of the Biſhops, and how did the people love to have it ſo? they were well enough pleaſed and contented with their doctrine and way; We were like Iſſachar, who thought reſt was good, although it was with burthen; and you ſee now what is the end thereof.

Some of this may be appliable to us, the Prophets Prophecie falſely, and my people love to have it ſo; there is too much connivance, too much content, too much pleaſing among the godly themſelves in variety of opinions, though none under the notion of errour. Indeed there is thus much good in it, that things come to be debated and ſcanned, by this we come to ſearch upon what grounds we ſtand, we come to ſift out the truth of God, which certainly never was more clearely revealed, then when ſome errours have been the occaſion to cleare it and bring it forth, as I ſhewed before. In the point of Free-grace, in oppoſition to mans free-will in the work of converſion, which had not been ſo fully diſcovered, if Pelagius had not broached that errour, that a man might be ſaved if he would. So the freeneſſe of Gods grace in juſtification, had not been ſo clearely diſcovered, if the Papiſts had not broached and maintained that errour of justification by works.

Indeed were they undoing errours that are preached and held forth by any, S^t Johns rule comes in, Epiſt. 2. ver. 10, 11. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, that is, that Jeſus is the Chriſt, as he ſhews you before, ver. 7, 8. Receive him not into your houſes, neither bid him God ſpeed, for he that biddeth him God ſpeed, is partaker of his evill deeds. So then did you know any to hold forth fundamentall errours, ſuch as are the overthrow of faith, or deſtructive to the power of godlineſſe, there is no countenance to be given to ſuch, you make your ſelves ſharers with him in his fin, and bring upon your ſelves the ſame guilt. And therefore ſaith Paul, Tit. 3.10. A man that is an heretique after the firſt and ſecond admonition reject, knowing that he that is ſuch, is ſubverted, and ſinneth being condemned of himſelfe.

Theſe are the rules for undoing errours: Nay and were they defiling though not da…ning errours, were they but ſinfull, p. 68though not deſtroying errours, yet if they were evidenced to us, and manifeſt to us to be errours, we ought not to connive at them, to countenance them in their way, but to admoniſh, to reprove them, to exhort them, and uſe all poſſible wayes left by Chriſt to reclaime them.

But now when the things held forth are but meerely opinion, or if more, yet they are not any way injurious to faith, or hurtfull to the power and practiſe of godlineſſe, then there may be more agreement, the difference of judgement ſhould not in this caſe alienate affections, though you are not all of one mind, yet you are all of one heart, and here you differ only about the way to advance Gods glory. You have both cordiall affections to God and Chriſt, you deſire to bring him glory, only you differ in the way; one thinks this way, and the other this, and in both it may be the Scripture is ſilent, or holds out as much for one as the other. Now in this caſe why ſhould there be falling out: certainly diverſities of opinion, may be countenanced, and yet without ſin, provided that it doth not ariſe, either from fickleneſſe, unſetledneſſe and inconſtancy in us, or from pride, that we love to ſide and differ from others, or that it doth not tend to make diſturbance of the peace of the Churches of Chriſt. But I am too long on this; I will therefore conclude this ſecond generall, the ground of abounding errours, and come to the third.

Q. 3. What are the grounds that ſo many are carried away; And becauſe this queſtion doth fall in ſo much, with the former queſtion, therefore I ſhall be ſhort on it.

In briefe then I ſhall reſolve all into theſe two generall grounds.

1. Weakneſſe. 2. Wickedneſſe. One incident to the godly, the other proper to the wicked.

The firſt ground that men are carried away with errour, it is weakneſſe. I will branch this into three particulars.

1. Weakneſſe of judgement, which is the weakneſſe of head.

There are many, who though they have grace and good affections in them, yet want knowledge; they are babes in underſtanding, they want judgement to examine, and try opinions, p. 69the things in controverſie are above their fathom, their line is too ſhort, and they want ſufficiency of light to diſcerne of things that differ, to diſtinguiſh between truth and errour, there is a great deale of ſophiſtry in errour, there is the head of the ſerpent in it, who was too ſubtile for our parents in innocency; it may be an errour may be handed out to us, by holy men, and repreſented to us, under faire ſpecious and high pretexts, and we our ſelves want wiſedome or knowledge to ſee to the bottome of it, and therfore embrace a ſhadow for ſubſtance, an errour for truth.

2. Want of ſtability, though they have ſome knowledge, yet they are not fixed and ſtabliſhed in the truth, there is a kind of lubricity and fickleneſſe, and inconſtancie of ſpirit in men, which the Apoſtle takes notice of and blames in Epheſ. 4.14. That we henceforth be no more children toſſed too and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the ſleight of men and cunning craftineſſe wherby they lie in wait to deceive; too many who are of this temper, like children toſſed too and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine; It is a metaphor taken from a weather-cock, which is carried about with every wind, it stands this way now, but it is becauſe another wind blowes not, they are not fixed and ſtabliſhed in the truth. There are many who are fixed and grounded in errour, and too many who are unſtable and unſetled in the truth, which doth not meerely ariſe from want of knowledge, but from want of ſtability: They are of uncertaine and unconstant ſpirits; that ſpirit which many men have in errour, would be a precious ſpirit if it were joyned with the truth; but to be ſtable in errour is a puniſhment, and to be unſetled in truth is our ſinne; and yet how many who are fixed in the one, and will boaſt of it, I thanke God I am no changling, when others are unſtable in the truth. I have ſometimes thought what might be the ground of this inconſtancy and inſtabability of ſpirit, in thoſe who yet are full of good affections.

And to let goe the naturall grounds which ariſe from the tempers of nature; I have thought of theſe foure spirituall grounds.

p. 701. Want of knowledge, they are but yet babes and children in knowledge, and therfore may be unſetled, according to the meaſure of knowledge, ſuch is the meaſure of ſetledneſſe and ſtability of ſpirit; if we knew perfectly, we ſhould never change, but we know but in part, and therfore being imperfect in knowledge, we are alſo imperfect in our ſtability.

2. Want of grace, I ſay degrees of grace, not truth and eſſence of grace; this the Apoſtle ſets downe, Heb. 13.9. Be not carried with divers and ſtrange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be eſtabliſhed with grace; here was inconſtancy in them, what was the reaſon? they had grace, but were not ſtabliſhed with grace, they wanted ſuch a meaſure as to ſtabliſh their hearts: Grace will ballace the moſt unſetled heart, it will fix the moſt unfixed ſpirit; a little grace will ſo fix the heart, as 1. It ſhall never entertaine any fundamentall errour; 2. Nay he ſhall never make any errour his choice: 3. Nay if he give way to any errour, it is ſtill under the notion of truth▪ A little grace will doe this, but there is required a greater meaſure of grace to ſtabliſh a man in the truth, and to preſerve a man that he ſhall not be led aſide with any way of errour.

3. Want of comfort may be another reaſon of inſtability. It may be a man hath walked in theſe wayes, and finds no comfort in them, his heart is troubled, he can get no peace, and becauſe they find not comfort in thoſe wayes they expected, they look for it in other wayes. It is a ſad thing for a ſoule to be without comfort. As the body without the ſoule is dead, ſo is the ſoule without comfort; that which the ſoule is to the body, comfort is to the ſoule, and therefore men in the want of comfort, are apt with the Bee, to goe from flower to flower, from one opinion to another, if God keep them not; upon this ground many have fallen to Popery, becauſe they could not get comfort upon the principles of our Religion, which affords no comfort to them who would reſerve their ſins.

And upon the ſame ground, men under troubles, and wanting comfort, they are apt to run from this opinion to that, hoping in all to find comfort to their troubled ſpirits. Like men ſick of a Fever, they think their diſeaſe is in their beds, when it is in their bodies, they think by ſhifting of beds to be ridd of p. 71their diſtemper, when yet they carry the diſtemper with them; yet ſome refreſhment for preſent may come with change, but certainly it is a great mercy, and a wonder of mercy, when men have long been in trouble, and in want of comfort, that God hath kept them, and not ſuffered them to ſeek for comfort out of Gods way, that he hath not ſuffered them to runne into any way of errour to find comfort; that he hath given them patience to wait upon God in the wayes of obedience, in his own way: And rather to charge themſelves then the way, if they want comfort, and ſurely the fault is at home; either you are formall in your walking, or you hold compliancie, though you give not entertainment to ſome corruption; or you give way to your own unbeliefe, the doubtings and miſgivings of your own ſpirit: or God is willing to deny thee comfort, for thy further exerciſe, to quicken, to humble, to put thee on ſelfe purging, but at laſt he that ſhall come, will come.

4. A fourth ground of inſtability, may be the violence and heate of their affections to find out truth; which puts them on to an inquiſitiv…neſſe, a triall, a ſearch of all things. In which ſearch it may be this appeares a truth, and may be another time there ſeemes a truth in another, men are not ſetled while they are ſearching, they are not fixed while they are inquiring; their good affections prompt them on to inquire after truth, and during inquiry they are unfixed and unſetled in the truth. And ſo much for the ſecond generall ground why many are carried away, viz. want of ſtability.

3. A third ground, too much credulity: Some men are too ſlow to beleeve, and ſome are too facile and eaſie of beliefe; to be too ſlow to beleeve when God speakes is our wickedneſſe, and to be too facile and eaſie of beliefe what man speakes is weakneſſe. It is not good to be ſlow to beleeve a truth, and it is evill to be facile to beleeve an errour, and yet both theſe may ariſe from the ſame grounds in the ſpirit. A man is ſlow to beleeve a truth, becauſe he doth ſuspect it an errour, and he is facile to beleeve an errour, becauſe he doth apprehend it for a truth, ſo that both theſe may ariſe from the honeſty of a mans ſpirit; in the one he is fearfull to entertaine an errour, and therfore ſlow to beleeve a truth; in the other he is fearfull p. 72to reject a truth, and therfore gives entertainment to an errour. Feare is oftentimes made a ſhooing-horne to draw on an errour, and to hold out a truth. But this I am not now to deale withall. That which I am now upon ſeemes the contrary to feare, viz. too much credulity and eaſineſſe of ſpirit to beleeve, which though it be contrary, yet two contrary cauſes may produce one and the ſame effect: Errour may be the effect of an exceſſiſive feare, as well as of an eaſie faith, though indeed it be more properly the effect of too eaſie faith, then of an exceſſive feare. Men that take all upon truſt, are like to be deceived: And it is a maine ground why many are carried away with errour, their overmuch credulity, their eaſineſſe of beliefe: There is too much of this temper even in the godly themſelves, and I have thought of divers grounds of it.

1. This eaſineſſe to beleeve, doth ariſe from the great eſteeme of the wiſdome and holineſſe of thoſe who hold forth an opinion, if indeed he were learned and not godly, or if he were godly and weake in knowledge it would give ſome place to jealouſie, but where theſe two meete together, they have great authority upon the ſpirits of men, and all that proceeds from ſuch men, is received as infallible truth; men take things upon trust from an honeſt man, but they will examine what a cheater brings; if an honeſt man bring you gold, you will ſcarce try it, eſpecially if he ſay it is weight, he hath tried it, and he knowes it to be weight; but if a diſhoneſt man bring it, though he ſay it is good, yet you will try it: Men will ſuspect a truth if a liar tell it; and therfore Chriſt would not own the Devils acknowledgement of him, when he ſaid thou art the Sonne of God. But they will be ready to beleeve an untruth if an honeſt faithfull man affirme it.

When you heare any news of great concernment, the firſt thing you enquire is, of what credit is the authour, and if he be thus qualified:

1. That he be a man of great intelligence, one who knowes much of affaires.

2. If he be a wiſe man and an honeſt man, one who is not over credulous, that will beleeve all, and disperſe for truth p. 73what ever he heares, if he be one who hath ſeldome failed in his intelligence, one that hath often ſpoken truth, you conclude, that what ever he brings is truth: and yet it is poſſible for this man to publiſh a falſhood too.

So if you know one who is a wiſe learned man, a man hath much commerce with Heaven, and intelligence thence, one who is godly and holy, and a man not apt to receive all opinions, not overcredulous to take in all, nor forward to vent all which he hath heard; nay and perhaps hath been one who hath delivered many glorious truths of Chriſt: why ſuch a man you are ready to receive all from him, even as Goſpell, you beleeve all he ſaith, every thing comes with a great deale of authority into your ſpirits: And yet its poſſible for this man to be miſtaken, it is poſſible to erre; we know but in part, ſaith the Apoſtle, and who can ſay he is infallible in his knowledge.

Indeed there is much to be given to a man thus qualified in points that are of leſſe concernment, and controverted on all ſides; and this may be done, I conceive, without any prejudice to faith, I ſay it may be done, and yet not to reſolve our faith into the authority of men. But when this carries all, when opinions are drunke in becauſe they are the judgement of ſuch men, or becauſe ſuch men, ſo godly, ſo learned, ſo faithfull doe hold them forth, this is to pin our faith upon anothers ſleeve, this is to reſolve our faith into the authority of others (and is a ſhread of that garment whereby Babylon is diſtinguiſhed,) it hath much of the Roman doctrine in it, I beleeve as the Church beleeves: ſo I beleeve it, becauſe ſuch hold it forth. And that is the firſt ground of overmuch credulouſneſſe in men, which we had need to beware of; and the more, becauſe we are too apt to ſlide into it, and put man in Gods ſteed to us.

2. A ſecond ground of this overmuch credulouſneſſe, is the benigne and faire aſpects which an opinion carries. It may be you heare of an opinion, and it is comely dreſt, it carries ſuch faire and benigne aſpects, it lookes ſo lovely that we are ready to receive it, and give entertainment to it without any more examination. Thus the Devil beguiled Eve at the firſt, the Apoſtle tells us ſhe was deceived; and what deceived her? it was the benigne aspects which the fruit carried; you reade it, p. 74Gen. 3.6. And when ſhe ſaw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleaſant to the eyes, and a tree to be deſired to make one wiſe, here were the benigne aſpects, the lovely lookes of it; and what followes? ſhe tooke of the fruit thereof, and did eate, and did eate her death in it, too; ſo here when we looke upon the benigne and faire aſpects, which an opinion may ſeeme to carry, we are ready to receive it, and give entertainment to it, without further triall: This is to worke upon the underſtanding by the affections, which is a prepoſterous and a dangerous way, becauſe the affections are blinde, coecae potentiae, and thoſe gain'd, they win the underſtanding to them, by inticement, not by demonſtration, they inveagle, they doe not informe the underſtanding, they perſwade by inticing, and not by evidence and reaſon. A man may well ſuspect thoſe opinions which are wrought upon the understanding by the affections, and not by demonſtrations; the affections often inveagle the underſtanding, ſometime inforce it; ſometime they bribe, ſomtime they threaten the underſtanding into an opinion; its dangerous for the affections to work upon the underſtanding: The leſſe the underſtanding hath to deale with the affections in judgement of truth or errour, and the leſſe the affections with the underſtanding, the ſafer and clearer is the judgement. A man may well ſuſpect thoſe opinions which are wrought upon the underſtanding by perſwaſions, and not by demonſtrations. The Philoſophers uſed to ſay, that to win the underſtanding by gaining firſt into the affections, is to woe the Miſtris by the maid. Affections are to attend and ſerve the underſtanding, and not to inforce it, they are not to tell what is truth, but to follow the understanding with love and delight, in the embracing of it. Suſpect that for truth that you are threatned or bribed into. And ſo much for the ſecond ground.

3. A third ground of credulouſneſſe is, the ſimilitude and likeneſſe which errour may carry to a truth of God; you muſt know that though Gods people may entertaine errour, yet no damning, though defiling errours; nor doe they entertaine any errour, as an errour, but under the notion, nay apprehenſion that it is a truth, and there is ſuch ſimilitude which an errour may p. 75carry to truth, that they may entertaine it without debating and examining of it. I told you from the 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15. That Satan might transforme himſelfe into an Angel of light, and ſo may repreſent errour under ſuch a ſhew of truth, that it is not for every one to diſtinguiſh between that and truth.

There was never any errour ſet on foote, but it was indeavour'd to be grounded on the Scripture, the word is pleaded on all ſides, and many places alledged which may ſeeme to afford ſtrength even to falſe opinions, by which an errour may be repreſented to them who are not able to diſcerne, as if it were a truth. There are but few errours in our dayes, but they carry ſome reſemblance of truth with them, at leaſt the face and appearance of truth; nay but few but have ſome ingrediency of truth in them: and therefore carrying ſuch a reſemblance with truth, looking upon the firſt view, like a truth, the beſt may be deceived with errour inſtead of truth, if they take things on truſt, though this deceit ſhall not be an undoing deceit, if it be not an undoing errour, and that Gods people ſhall never be given up unto: We ſay though error fortunae, a miſtake in the eſtate, doth not cauſe an anullity in marriage, yet error perſonae, the errour of the perſon doth: if you were married to one whom you tooke to be another perſon, this doth cauſe an anullity in the marriage. The entertainment of truth or errour, is a kinde of marriage between the ſoule and it, and there is a firme marriage between corrupt hearts and errour: but the contract which is between a godly man and errour, is a falſe contract, and therefore that claime which errour hath to him, is a falſe title, becauſe though it be an errour, yet he entertain'd it for a truth, and therefore it ſhall not damne him, though it doth for the preſent defile him.

4. A fourth ground of the credulouſneſſe of the godly, their facile and eaſie beliefe, it is the high and ſpecious pretexts which an errour may carry: Errour may beare as big a ſaile, and hold up as high pretexts as truth it ſelfe, and this may prevaile much to the entertainment of an errour, this is a great advantage which errour hath. It may hold forth the ſame authority, beare it ſelfe up upon the ſame bottome; it may pretend holineſſe, the glory of God, the good of our ſoules, &c. and what not? p. 76Doe not the Papiſts hold forth the ſame authority for their errours, which we doe for truth? doe they not perſwade to the entertainment of them, by the ſame arguments? will they not tell you, that theſe are for the glory of God, for the good of your ſoules? Was it not the uſuall argument of the hierarchy for their ſuperſtitions, and humane inventions, for their Altars and Jeſu-worſhip, and bowing towards the Eaſt, with the reſt, that all this was to declare our reverence, humility, &c. in coming into Gods preſence, it was for the glory of God? &c. And are there any errors now, that carry not as high, as fair pretexts, as ſpecious ſhewes? Who doth not ſay, loe here is Chriſt, and here is Chriſt? who doth not challenge patronage from Heaven for their ſeverall opinions? who doth not stamp their opinions with the authority and minde of Chriſt? Is it not that which Chriſt doth here foretell, they ſhall come in his name, that is, they ſhall pretend to doe ſo, they ſhall pretend his authority and commiſſion, and they ſhall ſay, I am Chriſt, they ſhall pretend, that that which is held forth, is the minde of Chriſt, which ſets out the danger of the temptation; ſuch an errour comming with ſuch high and specious pretexts, being held forth with ſuch authority, may prevaile much towards the entertainment of it. In our dayes if we looke upon the preſent contentions of the times, the cauſe now on foote and acting ſadly with the ſword, doe not our adverſaries hold up the ſame pretences? doe they not speake in our own language? doe they not ſay the ſame things, that they fight for the Proteſtant religion, Liberty of the ſubject, Laws of the Land? and if we take all on truſt, how dāgerous to be deceived? When the Pirate hangs forth your own colours, there is danger of robbing. The Crokadile ſheds teares when he hath a minde to ſhed bloud; the fouleſt deſignes are often masked with the faireſt pretences; the ſpiders webb is full of art, but ſhe her ſelfe is full of venome: you may truly ſuſpect moſt venome, where you ſee moſt art. There is not any bad cauſe, nor any errour, but is hand…d to us under faire pretexts and ſpecious colours, which wins many: and thats the fourth ground.

5. A fift ground why men are apt to take opinions upon truſt, either becauſe they cannot try them, they want knowledge p. 77and wiſedome to examine and try them, or they want judgement to determine upon triall; either they cannot, or they are unwilling to put themſelves to the trouble in the triall of them: But I paſſe this. We have done with the firſt ground, why men are carried away with errours, and that is weakneſſe; 1. Weakeneſſe of underſtanding. 2. Want of ſtability. 3. Too much credulity, and I have given you the ſeverall grounds of theſe alſo.

We come now to the ſecond generall ground, why men are carried away with errour.

The ſecond ground, and that is wickedneſſe; A ſecond ground men are carried away with errour.the firſt was incident to the godly, this is proper to the wicked only. A godly man may entertaine an errour out of weakneſſe of head, but not out of wickedneſſe of heart. A godly man he entertaines an errour with honeſt affections, and to honeſt ends, and a wicked man entertains a truth with corrupt affections, and for corrupt ends: He is carried naturally to errour, he is nothing elſe but darkneſſe and errour, but he goes not to truth without a byaſſe: To that which is evil, he hath a naturall motion, a principle within carries him; but to that which is good he is mooved by weights, either feares or hopes. Naked evil he can cloſe withall, but truth muſt have a baite, elſe he hath no heart to it.

Godlineſſe is no gaine he thinks, u…leſſe he can make a gaine by godlineſſe: as he will forſake truth to preſerve his eſtate, ſo he will entertaine errour to gaine an eſtate; men will make all ſerviceable to that which is their God: Mammon is his God, and therefore all is ſerviceable to that; he will either wave truth, or embrace errour upon this ground, to advantage himſelfe.

We ſay, all other deſires they are ſerviceable to the great deſire;Caeterae cupiditates ingenti cupiditati ſubſervient. what ever is a mans maſter-deſire, all the reſt are ſervants to it: as all other luſts they are ſerviceable to the maſter-luſt, &c. Now Mammon the world is his maſter-deſire, and therefore all other vailes to it and ſerves it. To be ſhort, he is a man who mooves not out of himſelfe, ſelfe is the ſpring and principle, and ſelfe is the end of all his motions. When he receives a truth, he will aske what it can doe for him, before he bid it welcome: and ſo when he entertaines an errour; here is the difference, ſome truths he p. 78will not receive upon any termes, and thoſe he doth entertaine, they ſhall bid high and offer largely, before they ſhall be welcome: but now errour ſhall be entertained at low rates, even at any hand; he will not ſtick with it, it is his friend, his fleſh and bloud. Corrupt men they ſeldome ſcruple errours, but they ſcruple entertainment of truth. I have heard ſome to ſcruple to goe to prayers in their family, and they ſay, Where have we a word for it? its ſuperſtition and will-worſhip, and yet they have never ſcurpled to drinke, to bezzle,—

Some who never ſcrupled to ſweare oathes enough, but yet ſcruple a religious oath. The Jews ſcrupled not to murther Chriſt, but ſcrupled to have him hang on the croſſe, becauſe of the preparation to the Sabbath.

Mens ſcruples of conſcience are oftentimes the puniſhment of their looſeneſſe of conſcience. I ſhall proceed no farther upon this. It would be endleſſe to ſet down the many grounds which corrupt hearts have for the entertainment of errour. And becauſe I have ſpoken already much to this purpoſe upon a former inquiry, I ſhall therfore ſhut up this, and come to the next queſtion propounded, which is the fourth generall laid downe.

Quest. 4. Who thoſe are that are in danger to be carried away, and led aſide with errour?

Before I come to give a full anſwer to this, we will premiſe three or foure things, which may be ſerviceable to the more cleere and distinct anſwer.

1. There is no man can plead immunity from all kinde of errours, there is not a man but is in danger to be led aſide with ſome errour or other, as we ſay of ſin, …in atham aſher lo jechate, there is no man which ſins not; ſo we may of errour, there is no man who errs not.

There is no man on earth, who hath an unerring priviledge, an unerring ſpirit, no not all men on earth together; not Fathers, Synods, Counſells, but are ſubject to errour, as is confeſſed by all, and largely proved againſt the Papiſts; that is the firſt, that no man can pleade an immunity and freedom from any kinde of errour. Nemo ſine crimine, & nemo ſine errore, are alike.

2. That even the beſt men are ſubject to the worſt of errours: p. 79I ſay the beſt men on earth are ſubject to the worst of errours. Subject I ſay, whats that? that is, they are incident to them, they are liable to them, thats ſomething, as our bodies are incident to all ſickneſſe, ſo our ſoules to all ſin and errour too.

But that is not all, to be ſubject to errour, is not only to be incident to it, but be inclinable, and thats more. A man may be incident to many ſickneſſes, which yet he is not inclinable unto; inclinableneſſe doth not only imply a paſſive capacity in the ſubject, but a prepared dispoſition. As in hard wax there is a paſſive capacity, but in ſoft wax there is a prepared diſpoſition to receive the impreſſion of the ſeale. And in ſaying the beſt of men are in themſelves ſubject to the worſt of errours, I do not only meane they are incident, but inclinable; they have not only a paſſive capacity to be corrupted, but they have a prepared diſpoſition, as to ſin in practice ſo to errour in judgement: yet this inclinableneſſe is not alike in all, it is capable of degrees, not as it is by nature, for ſo all are equally corrupted, but as ſome have improved their corruptions more then other, ſome are more inclinable, and ſome to one errour more then another.

3. That though none can pleade immunity from all kinde of errours, nay though the beſt of men may be ſubject to the worſt of errours in themſelves, yet are the Saints ſecured from ſuch kinde of errours by the grace of Chriſt: though they are ſubject to all, yet they are ſecured from ſome, I ſay, by the grace of Chriſt.

I have formerly told you from that 1 Cor. 3.10. that there was foundation-truths, and building-truths, ſo there are foundation-errours and building-errours, damning and defiling errours; all errours are defiling, but all are not damning, all are dangerous, but all are not deſtructive.

Though the godly are incident to defiling, yet Chriſt hath ſecured them from damning errours, though they may be carried away for a time with ſinfull and dangerous errours, yet hath Chriſt fenced them from deſtructive and undoing errours: And this I conceive expreſſed in theſe two places, Joh. 10.4, 5. The ſheepe follow him, for th…y know his voice, but a ſtranger they will not follow, for they know not the voice of a stranger. This place by all Interpreters, is taken for following Chriſt, in p. 80doctrinall truths, and it muſt be meant of neceſſary or fundamentall, not of acceſſary and building-truths. It muſt be meant of ſuch doctrinall points as are eſſentiall to ſalvation, and the being of godlineſſe, not to ſuch which are leſſe neceſſary, and are only of the welbeing of a Chriſtian; for if you looke there, even the ſheep of Chriſt have followed the voice of a ſtranger, embraced errour inſtead of truth: as I could inſtance in all ages: which hath ariſen not from the wickedneſſe of their affections, ſo much as from the weakneſſe of their underſtandings: not from their willingneſſe to embrace errour, but from their weakneſſe to diſcerne of truth.