The Arraignment of Error — Samuel Bolton

The Arraignment of Error · Samuel Bolton

But this can no man be, none can plead an unerring priviledge, none can ſay that their determinations are infallible, we know but in part, and the beſt, the moſt learned may not only come ſhort in things they ought to know, but may fail, may mistake in the things they thinke to know: As might be evidenced at large in many famous Councels: therefore men cannot be the rule, they are not infallible.

But now the Scriptures are, they are the Word of the living God, they are the ſtandard of truth, and truth it ſelf. We may deceive our ſelves in the ſearch; but the Scriptures are infallible, they cannot deceive, if a man have never ſo juct a meaſure, yet he may deceive himſelfe in the meaſuring, but yet this deceit is not to be charged upon the meaſure, but upon our ſelves: So the Scriptures are a juſt, infallible, unerring rule, yet may a man be deceived in the meaſuring of things by it, but this deceit is not to be charged upon the rule, but upon our ſelves. Either we err, not knowing the Scriptures, or we err in the partiall ſearch & enquiry into thē, we are not faithfull in the ſcrutiny.

All fayling ariſeth either from ignorance, from neglect, or from corrupt affections, and not from the Scriptures themſelves. All errours doe pretend to have then foundation in Scripture,Cum habeamus omnium exactiſſimam & perfectiſſimam regulam ex divinarum Scripturarum aſsertione, …ro vos omnes ut relinquatis, quid huic, quid illi videatur, & de bis a Scripturis haec o…n a in quirite. Chryſ. Nihil ſinè, nihilixira, nihil praeter, nihil ultra divinam Scripturam admittendum eſt. Conſul. Mortō p. 2. l. 3. cap. 25. every heretick will alledge Scriptures, but the Scripture will not patronize errours, you may caſt them upon Scripture, but the Scripture will not father theſe unlawfull births of your owne, which are begotten between ignorance, and corrupt affections.

The Scripture it ſelf is a pure fountain, without mud, an infallible rule, without errour or deceit, and nothing elſe is.

6 Prop. That which is the rule whereby opinions are to be tryed, is to be a juſt exact meaſure, capable of no addition, nor no detraction, neither of lengthning, nor of leſſening. But that is only proper to the Word of God. Mens judgements of things are capable of addition, they are not ſo full, to which nothing more can be, or ought to be added, nor are they ſo perfect, from which nothing can be taken away. Never were the reſults of men ſo full, that there was place for no addition, nor ſo perfect; that they had not after cauſe to retract in ſome thing. But now the Scripture is ſuch a Rule, which is exact, compleat and perfect, and this is largely handled by our Divines againſt the Papiſts, in oppoſition to their ſupply of unwritten traditions; they are able to make the man of God perfect; there needs no traditions of men, there is a ſufficiency, a perfection in Scripture.

Nay, and they are not onelyonly: compleat, perfect, but intire in this perfection; to which nothing muſt be added, nor from which nothing muſt be ſubstracted and taken away: as you ſee it. Deut. 4.2. Yee ſhall not add to the Word which I command you, nor ſhall ye diminiſh ought f…m it, ſo the 12. Deut. 32. and Deut. 5.32. Yee ſhall doe whatever the Lord hath commanded, you ſhall not turne aſide to the right hand, or to the left. Ne que paſtor, ne que , concilium, imo ne que Argelus in …ebus fidei recipiendus eſt; non dico ſolum con…ra ſcripturas, ſed etiam obſ que ſcripturis, vel praeter ſcripturas. Bil. Con. Apol. p. 2. p. 266. Diabolicum eſt extra divinarum Scripturarum authoritatem aliquid divinum putare. Theoph.Gal. 1.8. If an Angell from Heaven ſhould preach another Goſpell, let him be accurſed. And Rev. 22.18, 19. which ſhuts up not onelyonly Johns Prophecy, but the whole …anon of Scripture, If any man ſhall add to this prophecy, God ſhall add to him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man ſhal take away from the words of this book, God ſhall take away his part out of the book of life, and holy City, &c. and therefore the Scriptures being ſo exact a rule, ſo compleat and entirely perfect, capable of no addition nor diminution; it muſt needs follow that the Scripture is the alone rule, whereby we are to try opinions, that lapis lydius or touch-ſtone, whereby we are to prove all the doctrines of men. And ſo much for the firſt Argument.

Arg. 2. That which is to be our Judge after death, is ſurely to be our Rule in life: this is plain, if we are to be judged by it, ſurely we are to be ruled by it: if it muſt be our Judge hereafter, then our Law here. But the Scripture ſhall be our Judge after death, Joh. 12.48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my Word, hath one that judgeth him, Mort. Ap. C at. p. 2 l. 1. c. 48, 53, &c. Conſ. Park. de polit. eccl. l 2. c. 2. p. 148, 149. Non aliter impios haereticos perfrictae frontis poſſ… mus convincere, niſiſacros habeamus codices, ex quibus clara veritas eluceſcit. Mort. def. Apo l. p 1 c. 9. See Reynolds conf. p. 97. Conſ. Park. l. 2. c. 2. p. 130.the Word which I have ſpoken, the ſame ſhall judge him in the last day. So, 2 Theſſ. 1.8. He ſhall come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Rom. 2.16. He ſhall judge men according to my Gospel.

Arg. 3. That which is the touch-stone to diſcover truth, and to manifest errour, is certainly the rule to trie opinions. But the Scripture is the touch-ſtone, to diſcover truth, and to manifest errour: therefore. For the truth of this minor propoſition, that the Scripture is the touch-ſtone, it is eaſily made good thus. That whereon all truths are founded, and by which all truths are confirmed, and wherein all errours are convinced and condemned, is ſurely the touch-stone, whereby all opinions are to be tryed. But in the Scripture are all truths founded, and by it are all truths confirmed, errours convinced and condemned: Ergo.

Arg. 4. That unto which God himſelf doth demit us, and ſend us to try opinions, that ſurely is the rule to try opinions. But to the Scripture doth God demit and ſend us for the tryall of opinions, for the finding out of truth from errour, and diſcovering errour from truth: therefore ſurely this is the rule.

Now that God doth demit and ſend us thither, for the tryall of opinions, and for the diſcovery of truth from errour, you ſhall ſee, Iſa. 8.20. To the Law and to the teſtimonies, if they speak not according to this word, it is, becauſe there is no light in them. When the Queſtion was to be reſolved againſt the Sadduces, concerning this point of the reſurrection, Chriſt doth reduce them to the Scripture, and tels them, if they had ſearched and enquired there, they would have been convinced of their errour,Conſul. Whitak. cont. 1. q 5 cap. 13. Matth. 22.29. Jeſus ſaid unto them, Ye erre, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. So when he would prove to the Jews that he was the Meſſiah, for proof of that he reduceth them to the Scriptures, Joh. 5.39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life, and they are they which teſtifie of me.

It ſhould be our enquiry in all our opinions; what ſaith the anſwer of God? men ſay this, others ſay that, but what ſaith the anſwer of God?aDe c…lo quae…nd… eſt judex, ſed quid p…ſanu… ad coe um, cum habe…m… hi… in Evangelio …eſtamentum? The Judge is to be ſought from heaven, but what need we knock at heaven, when we have his Word, his minde in Scriptures?bCoeleſtis judex non …u nubibu…, ſed ex Scripturis quaerendus. You are not to ſeek the heavenly Judge from the clouds, but from the Scriptures.

In ter…inamlis controverſii… Theologicis, ſacrae divi… que Scripturae ſolummodo relinquatur locus.So then, that unto which God doth demit us, and that wherewith we are to conſult in all controverſies of faith, of doctrine, or worſhip, that certainly is the rule.

But to the Word doth God demit us, and with the Word we are to conſult in all controverſies of faith; we, I ſay, not only private men, but Synods, Councels: and therefore certainly this is the rule whereby opinions ought to be tried, &c.

I will but adde one Argument more.

Arg. 5. That which is the ſupreme Judge of controverſies and opinions, is ſure the rule by which we are to try opinions.*Daven… de jud. & nor. 65. p. Vid. Whit. cont. 1. q 5. cap. 8. per …otum. But the Scripture is the ſupreme Judge of controverſies.

1. It is full of wiſdome and able to judge. It is called, the Word of wiſdome.

2. It is full of truth, infallibly true. It is called, the Word of truth.

3. It is full of power, it is the authority of heaven, thus ſaith the Lord, and this authority Menc…h all diſputes, this puts an end to all controverſies.

4. It is the great Law-giver, that which gives out all truths to be believed, and all commands to be obeyed.

It hath alone ſupreme authority to conſtitute doctrine of faith and worſhip, and therefore ſupreme authority of determining, interpreting and reſolving doubts, which ariſe from them, nay, and God was infinitely wiſe to fore-ſee all errours, and all doubts that might ariſe, or that ſhould ariſe, and hath furniſhed the Scriptures with ſufficiency to determine, to convince, to condemn appearing errours.Conſul. Whitak. cont. 1 q. 5. c. 8. arg. 10 1…, &c. Quaſi nos man…averimus tāt… ante Prophetis & Apoſtolis, ut in libris ſuis null… teſtimonia ponere…t quibus pars Donati eccleſia Chriſti eſſe doceatur. Reynolds Confer. c. 8 div 1. p. 461, 462.

It is one reaſon why our Divines ſay, that no man, nor coetus mortalium, no company of men, Synods, Councels, that can be ſupreme Judges of opinions, becauſe they are not able to fore-ſee what errours and doubts may ariſe, yea and even out of their own determinations; they determin of things only, pro re natâ, thoſe doubts and controverſies which doe ariſe in their time, but cannot fore-ſee what may ariſe afterward: but now God he fore-ſees all, he knew all that would ariſe, and did furniſh the Scriptures with ſufficiency to determine of all doubts, and to reſolve of all truths neceſſary for our ſalvation.

I remember a paſſage to this purpoſe, which learned Reynolds doth produce out of Auguſtine in his conference with Hart: it is this; S^t Auguſtine making mention how the Donatiſts hated him for preaching of the truth, and confuting their hereſie, as though, ſaith he, we had commanded the Prophets and Apoſtles, who were ſo long before us, that they in their books ſhould ſet down no teſtimonies, whereby the Donatists might be proved to be the Church of Chriſt.

5. It is that at which we are to enquire, and with which we are to*Ʋbicun que locus ad disputandum conſtitutus fuerit, ſacia…s codices Canonicos praeſto eſſe; & ſi quae profer… poſſunt ex utra que parte document…, poſt poſitis caete…is, …m…t… ad inquiſit… terminum perducamus. A… guſt. conſult, in all doctrines of faith and worſhip, and not only we, but Councels, Synods, they are to goe to the Word, and to the teſtimonies, and their judgment no further valid, then as it is founded upon the ſure foundation, the Word of God. And therefore it muſt needs be the ſupreme Judge,Au …antur de…e…io chartae noſtrae, proce…a in mediu… co…ex Dei, audi Chriſtum dicentem, …u…i veritatem …oquente…. A…g. and by conſequent the only rule whereat we are to enquire in all points of faith and worſhip.

Abundance more might be ſaid of this point. It is the great controverſie, which our great Champions have combated with the Papiſts in, and the great truth, which they held out in their generations; Whitaker, Reynolds, Davenant, in whom you may ſee more at large.

And it was not new to them, it hath been the conſtant tenent of all the learned in all ages of the Church.aNolo argumento credas, & noſtrae diſputationi, Scripturas interrogemus, Apoſtolos interrogemus, Prophetas interrogemus, Chriſtum interrogemus. Amb. Doe not believe the argument and our diſpute, but let us ſearch the Scriptures, enquire of the Apoſtles, aske of the Prophets, enquire of Chriſt, let them determine.bNon adeo perdite confidens ſum, ut aufim aliquid affirmare quod ſacrae Scriptura ſilentio praeterit. Ego in ſola divina Scriptura acquieſco. Theod. Theod. I am not ſo deſperately confident, that I dare affirm any thing which the holy Scriptures have paſſed with ſilence, I reſt onelyonly in the Word of God. It is a devilliſh ſpirit, to thinke any thing divine, which is out of the authority of Scripture.

We will now come, having ſetled the truth upon the Scripture, to anſwer ſome Objections, one or two only.

Object. 1. That which doth receive divers ſenſes and interpretations, cannot be the rule whereby we ſhould judge of opinions: but the Scripture doth receive divers ſenſes, yea, and it ſelf is not able to tell which is the right: and therefore it is not the ſupreme Rule, and judge of opinions.

Anſw. *Scriptura non varios & incertos ſenſus recipit, Ex conditione rei affirmatae, aut ex intentione affirmantis, ſed ex inſcitia, aut pertinacia detorquentis. Daven.The divers ſenſes the Scripture receives, is not from the minde of the Inditer, but from the ignorance of the enquirers; nor from the things affirmed, but from the darkneſſe or perverſeneſſe of the ſearchers.

I ſay, it is not becauſe the Spirit of God did give the Word ambiguouſly and doubtfully, nor becauſe the things affirmed are dark and doubtfull,Conſul. Whitak. Contr. 1. q. 5 c. 7. but becauſe we are ignorant or ſlothfull, or elſe perverſe and wilfull.

Becauſe the Rule may be bended, the Scriptures wreſted, ſhall we therefore deny them to be a Rule, to be the Scriptures? ſome pervert the Scriptures, ſaith Peter. 2 Pet. 3.16. to their owne deſtruction, and yet we know they are the word of life to Salvation.

The divers ſenſes of Scripture do ariſe, either from our ignorance, or our perverſenes, or our corrupt affections, o… our ſloth, that we doe not enquire and ſearch, we doe not compare Scripture with Scripture, but it doth not ariſe from the minde and intention of the spirit, nor from the nature of the things that are affirmed in it.

The ambiguity of Scripture.*Non infringit judiciariam Scripturae authoritatem, ſed oſtendit neceſſitatem ſpi…tus il…in…ntis. Da…. Dicimus verbū Dei non …il…ere judiciariā authoritatē, quia ho… nes ine…o re deme…ſi non ſ…mper inte…ig…nt contraſ… judicatum eſſ… … Nō liquid… percipiunt … ſe da… tos …encſententia verbidiv… ni, do…ec c…ram Chriſto judice in noviſſimore ſtat…niur & aper…o libro c… …ertur. Da…. It doth not infringe the authority of the Scripture, but declares the neceſſity of the illumination of the ſpirit. So much for the firſt objection.

2 Obj. Another objection againſt the Scriptures, being judge of opinions is this; It is the worke of a judge ſo to declare his ſentence, that the one party may ſee he was in an errour, and the other, that he is in the right: but the Scripture, nor the Spirit of God in Scripture, doth thus evince truth, and convince of errour, as to make the parties to know they are in truth, or were in errour: therefore the Scripture cannot be the judge of opinions.

Anſw. It is the worke of a Judge to declare the law, to give his ſentence, declare his judgement, and not to convince partyes. It will be a hard thing to convince the loſer that he is in the wrong.

Men who are given up to errour, blinded with folly, and bewitched with ſelfe-love, in love with their owne opinions, it is a hard thing to convince ſuch that they a…e in an errour. And ſhall we ſay the Word of God ſhall loſe its judiciary authority, becauſe men in errour will not diſcerne of its judgement?

2. Though they will not ſee now and be convinced, yet the time will come that they ſhall ſee, if not before, yet at the gre… day of account all things ſhall be made evident: many that breake the lawes, and are guilty of felony or of murther, yet will not confeſſe to a petty Juſtice, that he is guilty, but at the Aſſize he is made evident, and then he is convinced of it: ſo however men ſew fig-leaves and cover their nakedneſſe now, will not confeſſe their error, yet at the great day of Aſſize all ſhall be made evident, and their mouthes ſtopped.

3. I ſay that the Scriptures do ſometimes ſo clearly evince truth, and convince of errour, that the parties themſelves even in this life are convinced of it, and cannot gaine-ſay, or ſtand out againſt the evidence.

4. I ſay againe, if that the light, and judgement and authority of the Word will not convince men of errour, neither will any authority upon earth doe it.*Quae controverſiae ſiniri non poſsunt ex determinatione verbi divini, ne que fin…entur unquamex determinatione cujuſcunque authoritatis humane. Da…en. Qui ex ſcripturar…m lata ſententia ſe victum non agnoſcit, nunquam agnoſcet ſe victum ex ſententia alterius judicis cujuſcunque, Daven. Thoſe controverſies that cannot be concluded and determined by the judgement of the Word, neither can they be determined and ended by any authority upon earth. He that doth not acknowledg himſelfe conquered by the evidence of Scripture, will never acknowledge himſelfe overcome by the ſentence of any judge upon earth.

Give me leave to ſhut up what I have ſpoken in a word of application, and I ſhall enter upon that enquiry.

Ʋſe. You ſee I have ſhewed you two things, Who are to examine, and by what rule to examine.

I have charged one upon you, as your duty, at all times.

It is the duty of every one to examine, &c.

And I have given you here the rule by which you are to try, viz. the Word of God. This is the touch-ſtone: It is not men, not Councels, not Synods, much leſſe the Pope, whoſe unerring authority the Papiſts ſet above Councells. But it is the Word of God which is the rule and judg, aTheodor. hiſtor. Eccleſ. l. 1. c. 7. In epiſt. ad Innocent. Epiſ. 90. Inrer Epiſt. Aug.and therefore by this the Councell of Nice both tryed and condemned the Arian Hereſy, by this the Councell of Carthage, of Melevis, of Orange, tryed and condemned the Pelagian Hereſy. It is the ſpeech of a heathen Philoſopher:bQui ponit legem judicem, ponit Deum, qui addit hominem, addit & Beſtiam. he that makes the law judge, makes God judge, but he that makes man, ſubstitutes a beaſt inſtead. And he gives this reaſon,cQuia homines optimi diſtorquentur affectibus, lex autem vacua eſt hujuſmodi preturbationibus. Ariſt. becauſe the beſt men are wreſted with affections, but the law is free of theſe perturbations.

If ſo much is to be given to humane lawes above the judgements of the beſt of men, how much more to the divine, the Law of God?

It hath been my work to clear this to you, the Scripture is the rule. Oh that now you had wiſdome in the tryall: you had need of wiſdome to ſearch, to examine, and need of wiſdom to determine. It is a ſhame to ſee how men ſit, as if theſe things did not belong to them.

Some are ſlothfull and will not enquire, like Gallio, they care for none of theſe things. I have read of a Story of Henry the fourth of France, who asking the Duke of Alva, whether he had not obſerved the eclipſes, he anſwered, no, he had ſo much he ſaid to doe upon the earth, that he had no leiſure to look up to heaven: and there are many of this spirit, who are ſo taken up, and have ſo much to doe with the buſineſſe of the world, that they have no leiſure to look up to heaven.

Some who enquire but ſleightly and overtly, they aske, with Pilate, what is truth? but doe not take paines to finde it.

Others again, who enquire, but with corrupt affections, which either bribe the underſtanding into errour, or blinde the underſtanding, that it cannot diſcern of truth.

Others that perhaps finde, but either fear to own it, or turn their backs on it, as the young man in the Goſpel:Pelago ſe non ita cō miſſur… eſſet, quin quando liberet pedē referre poſſet. and you know what the King of Navar is ſaid to ſpeak to Beza, that he would lanch no further into the deep, then he might come ſafe to ſhore.

Men look upon truth as an ignis fatuus that leads them into boggs: moſt men would entertain truth as a ſervant, but few as a King, they would own ſo much as might be ſerviceable to them, but they will not own any more, not ſo much as may master them: ſo long as they may live on truth, they like it, but cannot away with it, when it comes to live on them, nay and live on the beſt of their comforts, to live on their eſtates, wives, children, poſſeſſions, nay liberty and life, &c. this is hard. And he that ſees not truth his honour, truth his riches, truth his friends, truth his liberty, life, that man will never own truth alone.

In the diſquiſition of truth, in the enquiring after truth in theſe daies, beware of a double ſpirit, beware there be not treachery in thee, beware of a double ſpirit, beware of being byaſſed with corrupt affections, &c. Aske the way to Sion with your faces thitherward, that is, with reſolution to goe it, when it is revealed: be not only willing to know, but ſtand reſolved to doe: and when God ſees you willing to doe, he will make you able to know. And ſo much ſhall ſerve by way of touch in application; we come now to the Query.

Qu. 3. If the Scripture be the Rule, God in Scripture Judge; yet the great Queſtion is, Who ſhall judge that this is Gods minde in Scripture? Here lies all the controverſie.

There is great cauſe of propounding this Queſtion, in regard that the Scriptures, they are not in all things ſo clear, but that you ſee they are capable of many interpretations. Capable, I ſay, not that theſe divers ſenſes doe ariſe from the nature of the things affirmed, or from the minde and intention of the declarer, but from the ignorance or perverſeneſs of the ſearchers and inquirers, as was ſaid before.—

There is nothing more known, then that there are divers ſenſes, various interpretations of the ſame Word of God, of the ſame texts in Scripture. Had it never been known before, yet our daies had given us plentifully ſad experience of it, which is the root of all the diviſions and differences among the people of God.

The Papiſts indeed have a way for union, though not Gods way: they take away from the people, firſt, the Scriptures, and then, the judgement of diſcretion, or rationall judgement, and give them no power to examine and try their Councels, ſentences, determinations; but contrarily tell them they are bound with implicite faith, and blinde obedience to ſubmit to, and receive the doctrines and determinations of the Church, and their ſafety lies in ſubmitting their judgements to their guides, though they lead them in a way of errour, not conſidering that which Chriſt ſaith, If the blinde doe lead the blinde, they ſhall both fall into the ditch.

Thus they doe, they take away the Scriptures from them, the light of the Sunne, and then put out their eyes too, take from them a common and rationall light, tell them they have no power to examine their ſentences and determinations, and then they bid them follow them in the dark, give up their faith and conſciences to be ruled and guided by them: thus after they have made them as beaſts, they put them under the yoak, and deal with them as beaſts. And now when they have done this, they boaſt of the unity, that is among them, and tell us they are all of one minde, they are not divided into ſo many factions and different opinions, as Protestants are. Indeed they have a blinde agreement.

The Proteſtant Churches goe not this way for to bring men to union, they render us the Scriptures in our own tongue,Whitak. cont. 3. q. 6. Daven de judic. & nor. fidei. p. 110, 111, 112. &c. 136, 142. they tell us it is our duty to ſearch and examine them, they tell us that Councels are not infallible, that every Chriſtian hath the judgement of diſcretion, and is bound to try all things, they tell us that we are not bound to ſubmit to the determinations of any, no further, then they ſhall be made evident to be conſonant and agreeable to the Word of God.Conſul. Whitak. cont. 1. q. 5. c 8. Mort. Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c 11, 12.

And if this occaſion difference (which it doth not of it ſelf) yet it is better knowingly to differ then brutiſhly to agree. It is better to differ as men (nay as Chriſtians) for ſo we doe in a kinde, every one holds forth light and conſcience to be the ground of difference, though this conſcience may be miſled, and this light may be darkneſſe, I ſay, it is better to differ, as men, as Chriſtians, then to agree as beaſts: if we differ, we differ Chriſtianly: if they agree, they agree brutiſhly. A conſcientious diſſent is better then a blinde union; if the one be ours, I am ſure the other is theirs. But I am too injurious to you. We will come to the Queſtion.

Qu. The Scripture is granted to be the rule whereby we are to try opinions, and God in Scripture is agreed to be the ſupreme Judge of them.

But here is the Queſtion, who ſhall judge that this is the meaning of the ſpirit, that this is the minde of God in Scripture.

It is granted*Scriptura eſt ſui ipſ…m interpres. Whit. cont. 1. q. 5. cap. 13. Scriptura ſe clariſſimè & laculentiſſimè interpretatur, ſi nos Scripturā ſeſe interpretantem attendere volumus, & ſi non in omnibus ubi que locis, ficut dubitationis …ihil relinquatur, tamen in p…urimis maxime que neceſsariis, & in ſum mis fidei noſtrae capitibus. Whitak. loc. cit. Conſul. Pa…k. l. 2. c. 2 p. … 151, 152. Mort Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9. Scriptura, eam ſtidioſè perſcrutantibus eſt ſui interpres. Conſul. Dave de judic ac nor. fidei &c c. 17. q 4. p. 95, 96. &c. V…de & Whitak. cont. 3. q 6. An Concilia poſſint errare, per totam quaeſtionem. that the Scriptures are the beſt interpreters of themſelves; and thither all muſt goe for the diſcovery of the truth or falſhood of opinions, not only private men, but Synods and Councels; if they ſpeak not according to this Word, it is, becauſe the truth is not in them. And there are eight ſeverall Rules laid down by that learned Whitaker, which if they were obſerved by all in the tryall of opinions, and ſearching out the minde of God in Scripture, abundance of controverſies would come to a fair end, you may peruſe them in his 1. Cont. q. 5. cap. 9. de medijs inveniendi verum Scripturae ſenſum.

But it will be ſaid, if every man is to be Judge; then ſo many men, ſo many mindes, there will be nothing but differences, diviſions and confuſions.

If it be ſaid, a Synod or a Councell are to judge; then are men either to ſubmit to their ſentences and determinations before they have examined them, or they are to examine them before they ſubmit to them.

If we ſay the firſt, that we are to ſubmit to them before, or without examination; then doe men give up their faith and conſciences to men, and yeeld implicite faith and blinde obedience to humane authority.

If we ſay the ſecond, that we are to examine before we are to ſubmit, which certainly is the truth, no Councell upon earth is infallible; if not infallible, it may erre; if it may erre, then certainly there is a liberty left for every one to examine; and if a liberty to examine, then the like liberty to aſſent or diſſent from their determinations, as they ſhall be made evident to his own underſtanding and conſcience to be conſonant or diſſonant to the Word of God, the ſupreme Judge of doctrine.

But I am not in this Queſtion to deal with the conſequences, or the ſeverall inferences that will be made upon the anſwer of it. I have reſerved that to the next, which is the ſixth generall Queſtion, viz. What are the remedies againſt errours and erronious opinions.

I ſhall therefore at this time only lay down the anſwer, and ſo paſſe on.

Qu. The Queſtion is, who is to judge that this is the minde of God in Scripture?

And here I muſt tell you, it is a knotty Queſtion, and of great concernment, the iſſues may be dangerous on both ſides: if the reſults be, that Synods are to judge; it will be ſaid, there will be danger of ſubjecting mens conſciences to the determinations of men: if that every one are to doe it, then will there be danger of confuſion: It is a tickle point, and more need of your prayers for Gods aſſiſtance.

Now then for the anſwers of this Queſtion, that I may not beat the air, and ſpeak at randome, there will be a neceſſity of premiſing ſome diſtinctions.

1. Concerning Judges. 2. Concerning points to be judged.

1. Concerning Judges. As we ſay of judgement, ſo we may ſay of Judges,

There is a two-fold judgment, and there are two-fold Judges.

1. There is a two-fold judgement

1. Miniſteriall

2. Rationall

Judgment.Reynolds in his conference with Hart, cap 2. div. 2 p. 100. midle of it

Or there is. 1. A Judgement in foro externo, or publico, a publike and authoritative judgement in Synods, Councels, Aſſemblies.

2. There is a judgement, in foro interno, or privato, a private and ſelf-directive judgement in the Court of conſcience.

And this diſtinction is founded upon the Word of God, it hath footing there. The firſt, viz. Miniſteriall judgement, or that publike authoritative deciſion, in Councels or Synods, you may ſee it plain, to have its footing in the Word of God. Look to Act. 15. here was the occaſion of this convention, much trouble of the Churches concerning ſome difficult points and errours ſpread, ver. 2. then here's meſſengers ſent from the Churches, and here's the matter of a Synod, Apoſtles and Elders of ſeverall Churches, here's the forme, aſſembling together, here's the end of it, after much debate, to clear and ſettle the truth,Act. 15.…8 Act. 16.4. here was the determination of the doubt, with authority to binde the Churches.

For the 2^d, viz. private, rationall or ſelf-directive judgement in the Court of conſcience: I have clear'd that to you by many Scriptures, 1 Theſſ. 5.21. Prove all things, and hold faſt to that which is good, which I have ſhewed you to be a charge to all Chriſtians, 1 Joh, 4.1. Believe not every ſpirit, but try the ſpirits whether they be of God, yea or no—And the example of the Bereans, who were yet commended for trying and examining the doctrines of the Apoſtles themſelves, Act. 17.11. the Apoſtle injoyns us, Let every man be fully perſwaded in his own minde, Ro. 14.5. And if ſo, then is he to examine and judge.

And great reaſon, for this will not bear us out, to ſay that Authority commanded, a Councel determined it, and therefore I obeyed, I ſubmitted: the Papiſts indeed ſay, this will bear a man out in a way of errour: but Chriſt ſaith, If the blinde leade the blinde, they ſhall both fall into the ditch. And the Apoſtle tels us, that w…ll not excuſe us, that we followed the determinations of Councels, of Synods, For every man ſhall bear his own burthen. Gal. 6.5. Nay, and every man ſhall give an account of himſelf to God. Rom. 14.12. So that you ſee this diſtinction of miniſteriall and rationall, publike and private judgment and Judges, is founded in the Word of God.

We come to the ſecond, and that is, to diſtinguiſh of points to be judged; they are not all alike. I will give you theſe distinctions of doctrine to be judged.

Some are Doctrines of faith.

Some are Doctrines of worſhip.

And both theſe admit of their ſeverall diſtinctions too.

1. The doctrines of faith, they are either ſuch as are

Fundamentall or,

Superstructive

Doctrines.

I ſay, theſe are either foundation-truths, or building-truths.

And building-truths are ſuch as are either

More neceſſary, or

Acceſſory.

Acceſſory truths are ſuch, as are either

More Evident and clear, Or,

More Ambiguous and doubtfull.

Thoſe more ambiguous and doubtfull, are ſo either

In themſelves, or

To us.

2. The Doctrines of Worſhip, and thoſe are ſuch as concern, Either

1. Internall worſhip, and ſo they come under the Doctrines of faith.

2. Externall, and ſo they fall under the externall regiment or government of the Church.

The Doctrines of externall worſhip, are either

Eſſentiall, or

Circumſtantiall.

Eſſentiall, are thoſe things which belong to the distinction of offices, the choice of Officers, and execution of them, &c.

Circumſtantiall, are ſuch as may be added for order, for the commodity and profit of the people, viz. time, place, hours,In diſciplina eccleſiaſtica diſtinguam… ea qua ſunt fundamentalia ab acceſſoriis & levioribus: fundamentalia ſunt haec, ut legitimae vocationes perſonarū retineantu…, veluti paſtores, presbyteri, diaconi, & ut ij legitime electi ſuo munere fungantur, vel d…ponantur & removeantur; Acceſſoria dico, quae ut haec fiant & obſerventur in eccleſia qua que pro tēpore, &c. Danaeus in 1 Tim. 5.13 p. 289. with ſuch like.

And that theſe diſtinctions alſo are founded upon the Word of God, I might ſhew you at large. The distinctions of Doctrines of faith and worſhip, they are the ſumme of Chriſtian Religion, Fides & cultus, faith and worſhip, are the two generall heads of Chriſtian Religion ſpread thorow the whole Scripture. And concerning the Doctrines of faith, the diſtinction of foundation and building-doctrines, you may ſee plain, 1 Cor. 3.10, 11, 12. I have laid the foundation, but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon, for other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laid, Jeſus Chriſt. There is the great foundation-truth. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, ſilver, precious ſtones, wood, hay, ſtubble. Here are building-truths, of which there is diſtinction, ſome precious ſtones, ſome gold, ſome but ſilver. The hay and ſtubble are errours and erroneous doctrines, built upon a good foundation, bad conſequences drawn from good concluſions, bad ſuperſtructions upon a good foundation. So that you ſee there is footing for thoſe diſtinctions.

I might ſhew the like of the Doctrines of worſhip, thoſe that are Eſſentiall, and thoſe that are Circumstantiall. This diſtinction hath alſo countenance in the Word of God. And for the Eſſentials of diſcipline, there is mention made in the Word: but for the other they are left to the prudence and wiſdom of the Churches.

And now having propounded theſe neceſſary diſtinctions; I come to the Anſwer of the Queſtion, Who is to judge of Gods minde in the Word?

And here we muſt runne over all the diſtinctions we have named: There will be need of all for the clearing of the point.

Firſt, I told you, that there was a ministeriall, publike and authoritative judgement: and there was a rationall, *Dantur errores duplices, quidam ſunt fundamentales, qu… ipſum fidei fundamentum, & conſequenter ſalutis aeternae poſſeſſio tollitur: quidam ſunt m…us principales, non tam de fi…e, quam circa fidem, quibus nec ipſum fundamentum deſtruitur, nec ſalutis adeptio anceps redditur. Miſner. de eccleſ. cap. de errandi poſſibilitate. membr. 1. Sect. 4 6, 7. p. 626.private and ſelf-directive judgment. Now,

1. If the Queſtion be put, Who is to judge of Gods minde in the Word, in a Miniſteriall, publike way? I ſay, that it is the office of Councels and Synods, to examine, debate, determine, declare the minde of God out of the Word.*Patres in Concilio non tantū modo inquiſitores, ſed judices. Councels they are not only inquirers, what is the minde of God in Scripture, but in ſome ſenſe Judges, that this is the minde of God in Scripture, yet are they not ſupreme, abſolute, infallible, unerring Judges, as the Papiſts ſay, but Miniſteriall, declarative, ſubordinate Judges, who are not to goe beyond their bounds, the Word of God.aConcilia habent ſolummodo munus & poteſtatem interpretā di Scripturas, &c. Reynolds confer. with Hart. c. 2. diviſ. 2 p. 100. Councels have only the office and power of interpreting Scripture from Scripture, and the minde of the holy Ghoſt ſpeaking in them.

Reynolds in his conference with Hart, hath this paſſage. Chriſt, ſaith he, hath given two ſorts of judgement to his Church; the one, private; the other, publike: private, belongs to all the faithfull, andb1 Cor. 2.15. ſpirituall, who are toc1 Cor. 10 13. judge of what is taught, andd1 Joh. 4.1 to try the ſpirits. 2. Publike, that belongs toeAct. 15.6 the aſſembly of Paſtors and Elders, for of that whichf1 Cor. 14.29. Prophets teach, let Prophets judge:g1 Cor. 14 38. and the spirits of the Prophets are ſubject to the Prophets. In both of which, the Church muſt yet remember, that God hath committed nothing but the miniſtry of giving judgement to her, the ſoveraignty of judgement doth reſt on the Word of God. Thus farre he—

Another of our own. Councels may propound, expound, declare to the people that Doctrine which the Scriptures hold forth, but they have no power of making new Doctrine: that is, they are the publike Interpreters and publiſhers of holy Doctrine revealed in Scripture, they may expound and declare Scripture, but neither make Scripture, nor become Scripture to us, 1 Cor. 4.1. 1 Pet. 4.11.

To make Doctrine is proper only to God, who is the Lord and Maſter of our faith and conſciences. Men are Miniſters to our faith, and not Maſters of it; but this were, from a Minister to become a Maſter of our faith, which the Apoſtle ſo much abhorrs, 2 Cor. 1.24. We are not Maſters of your faith, but helpers of your joy. Nay, if they had power to make Doctrine, then were we not to exam…e and try their doctrine, but our duty were to ſubject to what is impoſed: but I have clear'd this to you, that it is our duty to examine all the Doctrines and definitions of men, &c. And if an Angel from heaven ſhould preach another doctrine, let him be accurſed, Gal. 1.8. It is not in mans power to make doctrines, though to declare them.

Secondly, if the Question be, who is to judge of Gods minde in the Word, in a private, rationall, ſelf-directive way: then I ſay, that every private Chriſtian, is to ſearch the Scriptures, to examine, prove, try and judge of the minde of God revealed in his Word, ſo farre as concerns his own faith and practice. I have ſhewed you that we are not to ſubject our underſtandings, our faith and conſciences, to any authority, nor to any definitions and determinations of men, but are to prove and try all things by the Word for our own faith and practice, we are to judge of Gods minde in his holy W…rd, with thoſe cautions I laid down. But this having been ſo largely inſiſted upon, I ſhall ſay no more to it.

And this ſhall ſerve for the firſt, the diſtinction of Judges.

Secondly, I told you, there were ſome diſtinctions of things to be judged. Some there were that were doctrines of faith, ſome of worſhip.

1. The doctrines of faith I told you were ſuch as were fundamentall, or ſuch as were ſuperſtructive.

Now, if the Question be asked, who ſhall judge of Gods minde in the Word, concerning fundamentall doctrines. I ſay, the Word of God is evident and clear of it ſelf in theſe things, that if a man will not wilfully ſhut his eyes, he cannot but ſee them: we need not here aske, who ſhall judge; main truths are plain truths, he that runs may read them. And that theſe are plain to thoſe, who will not wilfully ſhut their eyes, at leaſt to ſee them in a rationall way, the Apoſtle ſhews, in Tit. 3.10, 11. He that is an heretike [which is one pertinaciouſly, and obſtinately erring in fundamentals] ſuch an one, ſaith he, after the firſt and ſecond admonition reject, or excommunicate him, and he gives this ground of it, knowing that ſuch an one is ſubverted, and ſinneth, being condemned of himſelf, as the word expreſſeth, being ſelf-condemned, he ſins againſt the ſecret checks of his own conſcience, he is ſelf-ſentenced, which declares that fundamentall truths are evident, 1 Joh. 2.20otherwiſe he had not been ſelf-condemned. Turks and Pagans they doe theſe things, and are not ſelf-condemned; but men in the Church cannot, and therefore are to be caſt out.

Thirdly, I told you that ſuperſtructive truths were either ſuch as were more neceſſary, or ſuch as were acceſſory; and neceſſary admits of many diſtinctions, either ſuch as were abſolutely ſo, or ſuch as were neceſſary only by conſequent, or ſuch as are primarily neceſſary, and ſuch as be ſecondarily neceſſary. I ſpeak not here of the firſt.

If the Queſtion were, Who ſhall judge of truths abſolutely neceſſary? It is the ſame with fundamentall truths: and I ſay, that every Chriſtian is able to judge of Gods minde in ſuch truths; he tels us, We have aVot unctionem habetis, id eſt, vos ſpiritum ſanctum habetis, & noſtis omnia, id eſt, omnia neceſſaria. Whitak. Reynolds conf. with Hart, p 6…. middle of it. Whitak. cont 1. q. 5. c 8. Arg. 4. foreignan unction from the holy One, whereby we know all things, that is, all things neceſſary to ſalvation: and he hath told us, His Spirit ſhall leade us into the way of all truth; bImpium eſt putare Deum aliquando defuiſse eccleſiae ſuae in rebus neceſſariis.that is, neceſſary truths, and that we ſhall all be taught of God, that the Sheep of Christ ſhall hear his voice, and know it from the voice of a ſtranger. This is a certain maxime;cDonum intelectus nun quam ſe ſubtrahit ſanctis circa ea quae ſunt neceſaria adſalutē, &c. Aqu. 22. q. 8. a resp. 3. God doth never fail his Church, nor any member of Chriſt in truths that are neceſſary; they ſhall learn, they ſhall know and underſtand thoſe things neceſſaryd. And for thoſe things which are leſſe neceſſary, Councels may declare, and if you ſearch, if you ſtudy, if you examine and be faithfull in your ſcrutiny, God will reveal them to you alſo, at leaſt ſo much as is for your comfort, and chearfull walking in the waies of God.

Fourthly, I told you that acceſſory truths were either ſuch as were evident and clear, or ſuch as were doubtfull and obſcure.

The Queſtion needs not to be asked of the firſt of theſe: for thoſe that are evident and clear of themſelves every Chriſtian may judge of.

But the Queſtion will be of obſcure and doubtfull truths.

*See Maſt. Reynolds on the 110 Pſa. p. 273, 274.Of thoſe which are doubtfull, ſome are obſcure, reſpectu objecti, rejectu ſubjecti. Some are obſcure in themſelves, and ſome are obſcure not in themſelves, but to us.

If the Queſtion be of ſuch as are obſcure in themſelves, who ſhall judge of Gods minde in them. I ſay, there are ſome truths which are beyond the fathom of the talleſt underſtanding; there are certain Abyſſes and depths, that no man is able to ſound, no finite underſtanding can determine:See Reynolds conf. with Hart. p. 96, 97, 98. here we muſt fall down and adore, fall down and admire; the doctrine of the Trinity and of the Ʋnity, of divine eſſence in the Trinity of perſons, the doctrine of the incarnation of Chriſt, the hypoſtaticall Ʋnion of natures in one Perſon, the doctrine of Predeſtination, of the Jews rejection, which was a depth to the Apoſtle himſelf, over which he cries, foreign, Rom. 11.33, 34. Oh the depth of the riches, both of the wiſdome and knowledge of God, how unſearchable are his judgements, and his waies paſt finding out! for who hath known the minde of the Lord, or who hath been his Councellour? In other truths, ſuch as were neceſſary, the Apoſtle when he makes the ſame Query, he gives this anſwer, But we have the minde of Christ, as you may ſee in 1 Cor. 2.16. Who hath known the minde of the Lord, that he may instruct him, or who hath been his Counſellour? We have here the ſame Query, but not the ſame anſwer, he anſwers this Query, We have the minde of Chriſt, which is to be underſtood in things neceſſary. In the other you ſee, he makes the Queſtion, and leaves it without anſwer, only cries out, Oh the depth of the wiſdome—

So that if the Question be of Doctrines in themſelves obſcure: It is beyond man to fathom, faith is our beſt underſtanding, admiring and adoring, our beſt knowledge. But now if the Queſtion be of ſuch truths that are not obſcure in themſelves, but obſcure to us, not to all, but to ſome, which are therefore obſcure by reaſon of the imperfection of our knowledge, &c. It is the office of the Miniſters of the Goſpel to preach them and reveal them; of Synods and Councels, to declare them, and of every Christian to ſtudy them, to examine, to ſearch them out.

There are four waies that we are to goe in the finding out of truths doubtfull.

1. Look into the harmony of Scripture, ſee what the agreement, what the concord of the Word of God will doe to help thee:Conſul. Whitak. cont. 1 q 5. c. …. ubi de mediis inveniendi verum Scripturarum ſenſum. Scripturae Scripturis conferendae, fi quid in Scripturis recte intell gere volumus. See …eynolds, c. 2. diviſ. 2. p. 95, 96. Fa…eamur ergo neceſſ… eſt, juſtificationis nomen variè ſumi, niſi velimus exiſ…mare Apoſtolos à ſe diſſentire, & pugnantia enunciare: apud Jacobum ergo, juſtificari idem valet, quod juſtum declarari ac demonſtrari, apud Paulum verò, juſtificari, idem eſt quod à peccatis omnibus abſolvi, juſtum que apud Deum reputari Whitak. loco citat. many things ſeem to be truths, if you look on one text alone, that yet if you did but look upon the harmony of the Word, would thereby be diſcovered to be errours. For example, S^t James ſaith, Chap. 2. ver. 21. Abraham was juſtified by works; now if you look no further, it holds forth this, that we are juſtified by works; for as the father of the faithfull was juſtified; ſo all the children, all believers muſt be juſtified: and is this a truth then? Certainly no. Why, but how ſhall we know it? we muſt compare Scripture with Scripture; as for example in this point, compare this place of James with Rom. 4.2, 3. If Abraham were juſtified by works, he had then ſomewhat whereof to glory, for what ſaith the Scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteouſneſſe, and therefore the one ſpeaks of juſtification before men; the other, of juſtification before God; the one, of juſtification properly, the other, of declarative juſtification. Study the harmony of Scripture, ſee how one Scripture agrees with another, and how this doctrine agrees with all.

Rom. 12 6 Analogia fidei nihil aliud eſt, quam conſtans & perpetua ſententia Scripturae, in apertis & minim… obſcuris locis, quales ſunt Articuli fidei in ſymbolo, quaeſ que continentur in oratione dominica, in decalogo, &c. Conſul. Whitak. loc. citat.2. Look upon the Analogie of faith, whatſoever doctrine, either directly, or by way of immediate conſequence oppoſeth the Analogie of faith, is to be rejected as contrary to the platform of wholſome words; that's another way to finde out truth in doubtfull caſes; See the Analogie of faith; look over your Creed, the Lords-prayer, crooked things are diſcerned by bringing them to ſtraight, &c. Many Doctrins would be found erroneous, if they were but brought to the Analogie of faith. That doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, or rather monſter of opinions, which they would ſeem to build on Scripture, This is my Body; if it were but brought to the Analogie of faith, you ſhall ſee at once it overthrows four ſeverall Articles, 1. The incarnation of Chriſt. 2. His aſcenſion. 3. His ſitting at the right-hand of God. 4. His comming to Judgement: for if Chriſts body be ſo often made of a peece of bread, and in ſo many places at one time, how can all this be?

The Doctrine of Chriſts kingdom and viſible glory before the day of Judgement; it ſeems to contradict another part of it, he is gone to heaven, ſits at the right-hand of God, and [from thence] he ſhall come to judge the quick and the dead; So that nothing is between his ſitting in heaven, and his comming to judgement: Alſted.and therefore thoſe that moſt rationally hold it, doe ſay this Kingdom ſhall be in tempore judicij, the time of judgement, the Jews converſion, and the fulneſs of the Gentiles are to be the morning of it.

3. Look upon the concordant confeſſions of the Churches of Chriſt in all ages: here is another way, and certainly it doth afford a great deal of light, and help in points and caſes doubtfull: this is not to ſubmit my judgement and faith unto any authority of man, but to goe to them who excell to be helpers to my faith and underſtanding.M. Reynolds, 110. Pſal. 273, 274. Whitak. cent. 1. Jam. 1.5. Dixit aliquis patrū, ſe orando, magis quā ſtudēdo ac legendo in cognitionē Scripturarum proſeciſſe. Aug in l. Scal para. c 2. Orationi lectio, lectioni ſuccedar oratio Hieron. ad L…tam.

The Church of God is called, The pillar and ground of truth, 1 Tim. 3.16. not that which gives being to truth, nor that which gives authority to truth, but the Church is the depoſitory of truth, the orb out of which this glorious light ſhineth, the Candle-stick which holds the light, the pillar, not ſo much to hold up, as to hold forth truth, as the Law and Proclamation of Chriſt, it doth not hold up the authority of it, but bear witneſſe to that authority in it.

4. The fourth way is, to goe to God by prayer, and deſire him who is the father of light, to reveal the way of truth to thee, Jam. 1.5. Are ſuch and ſuch things doubtfull? Thou lookeſt upon many opinions abroad, and thou art brought to a ſtand, thou knoweſt not what to determine, the caſes are very doubtfull; goe and ſtrip thy ſelf maked of ſelf, of by-ends, of corrupt affections, unbiaſſe thy ſelf, denude thy ſelf before God, and deſire him to reveal his will to thee, begg of him that he would lead thee into the way of all truth, tell him he hath ingaged himſelf to teach thee, he hath promiſed we ſhall all be taught of God, he hath ſaid, He will lead us into the way of all truth, urge God with his promiſe, believe it, conclude it, either God will reveal it to thee, or it is not neceſſary it ſhould be known.

Cum Petro dicendum ediſcere nobis Paraholam iſtam. Hier. Non ſolum ſtuatū nobis adhibē dum eſſe ad diſcendas literas ſacras, ve um & ſupplicandum Domino, & diebus ac noctibus obſecrandum, ut veniat agnus de tribu Iuda, & ipſe accipiens librum ſignatum dignetur aperire. Orig. Hom. 12. in Exo Conſ. Whit. p 397. Whitgift, p. 3. p, 77, 81, 82, 83, 84. Hooker l. 3. Sect. 2. Sutclive. tract. de diſ c. 1. p. 5 Heb. 3.2. Conſ. Park. l 2 c 39. per totum.We read in Revel. 5 9. That when John ſaw the book was clasped, he fals down and weeps bitterly, and then Christ comes and opens, and unclasps the book: thus let us doe, are opinions doubtfull? is the book claſped? canſt thou not read Gods minde in theſe and theſe things? Oh fall down, weep to him, pray to him, either I ſay again, God will unclaſp the book, either he will unfold the doubt, or aſſure thy ſelf it is not neceſſary to be known.

And thus we come from the diſtinctions of the doctrine of faith, to thoſe we named of the doctrine of worſhip. Theſe I told you were either ſuch as did concern internall worſhip, of which I ſhall not ſpeak, or ſuch as did concern externall worſhip, viz. the outward Regiment of the Church of God in the world. And I told you the doctrines of Gods externall worſhip, were either ſuch, as were eſſential, or ſuch as were circumſtantiall only.

Now if the Queſtion be asked, who ſhall judge of Gods minde in Scripture, concerning the eſſentials of government? It is hard to tell you, who ſhall reſolve you.

1. Some ſay that doctrine only is contain'd in the Word, and not diſcipline, and that there is no particular and abſolute form expreſly preſcribed in the Word, nor yet any that can be made out of the word, & they lay this as a charge upon thoſe who hold the contrary, that they make Chriſt a Law-giver to his Church, and do put no difference between Chriſt and Moſes. Indeed they may ſeem to come under a charge, who make that compariſon between Chriſt and Moſes, and ſay that as Moſes had order for every pin in the tabernacle: So Chriſt (unleſſe he was leſſe exact then Moſes, and took leſſe care of his Church under the new Teſtament, then under the old) left certain Rules for the ordering and regulating of all particulars in the Church of God: an opinion very high, and an expreſſion very harſh—

2. Others ſay, there is a diſcipline in the Word, but it is only morall, not eccleſiaſticall. If that will not doe, ſome goe farther, and ſay there is an eccleſiaſticall teaching, but not an eccleſiaſticall governing-diſcipline in the Word.

3. Others ſay, there are ſome foot-ſteps and rules of an eccleſiaſticall Diſcipline in the Word,Sutclive, ib. but they are rather deſcribed then preſcribed, and thoſe are neither perfect, to which nothing may not be added, nor immutable, of which nothing can be altered, but may be modified and tempered to the ſeverall constitutions and tempers of States, Kingdoms and Commonwealths, as ſhall be ſeen convenient.

4. Others ſay, there are Eſſentials of government in the Word, though not the circumſtantials; Danaeus in 1 Tim. 3.15 p. 169. etiam in 1 Tim. 5.13 p. 289.there are rules laid down for thoſe things of chief concernment, though not for things of a leſſer and inferiour moment: but amongſt theſe here is this controverſie, whether thoſe rules, as touching eſſentials, are immutable and unchangeable, or whether they may be altered and changed, according to the will of man, and tempers of ſtates.

5. Others ſay, there is a certain, exact, entire form of government preſcribed in the Word of God, and that not determined ad hic & nunc, to the Apoſtles daies, the times of perſecution and gathering of Churches, but to be an unchangeable ordinance for the governing of Chriſts Church, till his comming again. And what that particular form is, there is as much controverſie; one ſaith one, another ſaith another. Certainly if there be ſuch an exact way in the Word, its ſtrange it cannot be found, it's a wonder it cannot be made out; if it be, it is no leſſe wonder that thoſe who are willing to open their eyes broad to let in light, cannot yet be able to ſee. To moſt men it appears a dark controverſie, and that there is not much in the Word to diſcover it; if there be, a great deal ſeems to be buried up in the dark, and cannot be clearly made out. It was once the ſpeech of one, that God had done by the externall government of the Church, as he did by the body of Moſes, he hid it, leſt men ſhould make an idoll of it.

Some doubt whether there be any ſuch thing or no;Conſ. Park. l. 2. c. 41, 42 43. others ſay, if there be, its in the dark, it's hid, but whether it be ſo or no, this I am ſure of, its made an Idol of; men make that all, and all the heats of their hearts are turn'd to contentions of the head. I may ſay, this controverſie hath wrought more diviſion in the hearts of Saints one towards another, and more ſeparation one from another, and keeps them at greater distance in all the offices of love, and hath more taken off the hearts of Gods people from ſpirituall and heart-warming truths, then any controverſie that ever was ſtirred up in any age of the Church: I pray God there be not a temptation in it. But to return.

Admit there be an exact government in the Word of God, who ſhall judge what that is? I told you there were the Eſſentials and Circumstantials of Government.

If the Queſtion be asked of the firſt, viz. Who ſhall judge of the Eſſentials. I may ſay certainly of this point, as well as of others, there is a publike and a private judgement; there is a miniſteriall, and there is a perſonall judgement.

It is the office of a Synod, an Aſſembly, to ſearch, to debate, to determine and declare, what they conceive is the minde of Chriſt in this; and it is yours, to prove, to examine, to judge of their reſults and determinations. In which work, as I hope they will be tender; ſo I deſire you may be humble, neither to imbrace things with a blinde judgement, nor to reject them with a perverſe will.

And for Circumſtantials: If the Queſtion be asked, who is to judge of them. I ſuppoſe it is granted on all hands, that in thoſe things, God hath left us free, and hath not determined and reſtrained us to any thing. And where God hath left things indeterminate, there is no Question but the Magiſtrate may determine you, and you are to ſubmit to thoſe determinations. And this ſhall ſuffice for this, and for the anſwer to the Queſtion.

Thus you ſee we have finiſhed three of thoſe Queries we propounded. We come now to the fourth, viz.

Qu. 4. What are the Diagnoſticks or marks whereby we may diſcover and diſcern of errour from truth, and truth from errour?

When falſe Coyn is abroad, if a man get a touch-ſtone, whereby he may be able to try it, and the skill in the uſe of it, to diſtinguiſh between counterfeit and true, he needs not fear being deceived.

I have told you there is a deal of falſe Coyn abroad, and if you would not be deceived, it was your ſpeciall duty to try it: I have ſhewed you the Rule, and told you what is the touch-ſtone, whereby you may try opinions. And now I am come to give you the marks whereby you may be able in the uſe of this to diſcover and diſtinguiſh between truth and errour. If a man have the touch-stone, yet if he want wiſdome to diſtinguiſh, he may be deceived for all this: So, though you have the Word of God, which is the touch-ſtone to try opinions, yet if you want wiſdom and skill to diſtinguiſh of touches, you may be miſtaken for all this.

And there is need of a great deal of skill: an errour may give as fair a touch, and make a fairer luſtre and glitter then truth. And therefore it ſhall be my work at this time, through Gods aſſiſtance, to lay down the marks, whereby in this touch and examination, you may be able to diſtinguiſh between errour and truth.

Now I muſt tell you before I enter on this work, that as there are many falſe ſtones, ſuch as doe render errour truth, and truth errour: So there are many falſe marks, by which if we ſhould be guided, we are ſure to goe amiſſe. It ſhall be therefore my chief work in this Diſcourſe, to reject the falſe, and to diſcover to you the true. And we will begin with the firſt of theſe, viz. the rejection of the falſe marks, which I will doe by propounding them in Queſtions, and then giving anſwers to them, and all this that they may have a fair tryall, before they be condemned.

Qu. 1. Whether antiquity, or the ancientneſs of an opinion be not a true Character of truth?

Anſw. There is no Queſtion to be made of this, but truth is ancient, and that which is ancienteſt is truth. Truth was before errour:*Id verum quodcun que primum, id adulterum quodcun que poſtremum. Tertul. that is truth which is firſt, and that is errour which is laſt. And therefore you ſee it is Gods direction to us, Jer. 6.16. Thus ſaith the Lord, ſtand you in the waies and ſee, and aske for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you ſhall finde reſt for your ſouls.

But now in regard that Antiquity hath been the pretence for many errours, and that we may not miſtake in it, there is a neceſſity of ſome diſtinction to be premiſed before we give the full anſwer.

Antiquitas eſt vel primaria vel ſecundaria: primar…a eſt pri…ae va cujuſ que rei o…igo, & haec …o ta ho… tatis & perfectionis eſt. Secundaria antiquitas eſt eorum quae diu ante coeperunt, &c Et haec antiquitas veritatis nota non eſt. Vid. Parker. p. 156. l. 2. Conſuetudo ſine veritate vetuſt as erroris eſt. Cypr.1. Then there is a two-fold Antiquity: a primary, and ſecondary Antiquity. Or things are ſaid to be ancient, in reſpect of Gods preſcription, or in reſpect of mens practice, in reſpect of Gods inſtitution, and in reſpect of mens obſervation: or if you will, in reſpect of Gods command, and in reſpect of mens cuſtome. And this will afford us this anſwer.

A. If antiquity be taken for Gods preſcription, for Gods command and inſtitution, then there is no Queſtion, but it is a certain badge & character of truth. But if you take antiquity for what men have anciently practiſed or obſerved, for what hath been the cuſtom of men, and not the command of God, then may it be an ancient, a gray-headed errour. That is not truly ancient, which men have practiſed; but that is true antiquity, which God hath preſcribed. Antiquity of things is not to be taken from the cuſtoms and obſervations of men; but from the commands and inſtitutions of God.*Veritas nō eſt tempore metiend…, ſed n…mine. Hoc argumento uſa eſt mulier Samaritana adverſus Chriſtum, Patres noſtri adorârunt in monte hoc, nec falſo, nam referente Carolo Sigonio, prius in Zilo quam in Jeruſalem invocatum Dei nomen eſt. Morton. Apolog pag. 1. lib. 1. cap. 10, 11. Truth is not to be meaſured by time, but by revelation; not by practice, but by preſcription; not by cuſtom, but by command.

It was the errour of the Jews, that they would follow the cuſtom, but they would reject the command. You may ſee it in Jer. 44.17, 18, 19. We will bake cakes, and burn incenſe to the Queen of heaven, as our Princes, and Fathers have done before us: and they have an argument for this cuſtom too; for then it was better with us then now, then we had plenty of victuals, and were well and ſaw no evil, but ſince we left off to doe this, we have wanted all things, we have been conſumed by the ſword and by the famine. Juſt the ſame argument that men have for their cuſtoms now.

So the woman of Samaria, ſhe pleaded cuſtom too againſt Chriſt, Joh. 4.20. Our Fathers worſhipped in this mountain, and you ſay, that in Jeruſalem men ought to worſhip: Here ſhe pleads a cuſtom, and one more ancient then the other, only it wanted preſcription, which the other had. Ancient custom without preſcription will not hold.

The Phariſees they dealt the ſame way with Chriſt, &c. and Chriſt with them, as you ſee at large, Matth. 5. It is well ſpoken of Cyprian, aNon debe mu… attendere quid aliquis ante nos ſecerit, aut faciendum putaret, ſed quid qui ante omnes Chriſtus prior ſecerit. Cypr.We are not to conſider what others have done before us, but what Chriſt who is before all hath done and commanded. Cuſtom without truth is but old errour.bNon hominum conſuetudinē, ſed Dei veritatem ſequi debemus. Cypr. epiſt. 7. p. 156. We are not to follow the cuſtom of men, but the truth of God: if men plead cuſtome without preſcription, Antiquity without command, we may ſay with Ignatius, foreign, Chriſtus nobis antiquitas, Chriſt is our Antiquity. He ſaith of himſelf, that he is the way, the truth and the life, the truth, not the cuſtom.cSi conſuetudinem fortaſſis opponas, advertendum eſt quod Dominus dicit, Ego ſum via, veritas & vita: non dixit, Ego ſum conſuetudo, ſed Veritas. Aug. Veritati nemo praeſcribere poteſt, non spatium temporum, non patrocinta perſonarum, non privilegium nationum, ex his enim ferè conſuetudo initium ab aliquâ ignorantia aut ſimplicitate ſortita, in uſum per ſucceſſionem corroboratur, & ita adverſus veritatem vindicatur. Tertul. It is that which learned Jewel urgeth againſt the Papiſts from that place, Eccleſ. 7.10. Say not thou, What is the cauſe that the former daies are better then theſe? for thou doſt not enquire wiſely concerning this.

2. Qu. Whether the newneſs of an opinion be not a ſufficient mark to diſcover it an errour?

For the anſwer of this I muſt alſo premiſe ſome diſtinctions.

1. Things may be ſaid to be new, in reſpect of Gods preſcription, or in reſpect of mans invention.

2. Things may be ſaid to be new, in reſpect of institution, or in reſpect of reſtitution.

The Commandment of love it was called a new Commandment, as Chriſt ſaith, Joh. 13.34. A new Commandment I give unto you, that you love one another. This was not new, in reſpect of its inſtitution, but in reſpect of its reſtitution, *Non quia novum mandatum, ſed quia de novo redintegratum.not becauſe it was new, but becauſe it was renewed. Many things are called new, which yet are not ſo, in reſpect of institution, but in reſpect of restitution.

3. Things may be ſaid to be new, in reſpect of Creation, or apparition: the moon is new, not in reſpect of Creation, but in reſpect of apparition. Many things which appear to us to be new, which are not new indeed.

4. And this brings in a fourth diſtinction: things may be ſaid to be new, in reſpect of being: as a childe is ſaid to be new-born, becauſe it never had a being in the world before: or a thing may be ſaid to be new, in reſpect of obſervation: a thing may be ſaid to be in being before, which yet was not obſerved, nor taken notice of before.

There are many things, which are not new in themſelves, which yet may be new to us: many things which are not new, in reſpect of being, which yet are new, in reſpect of obſervation.

Having premiſed this, we will come to anſwer the Queſtion: Whether the newneſs of an opinion, &c.

And I will anſwer this Queſtion in theſe two Concluſions.

Concluſ. 1. The newneſſe of opinion is enough to diſcover it an errour; if it be new in reſpect of inſtitution, not if it be new in reſpect of reſtitution. Inſtitution of truth is only Gods work: none is able to inſtitute doctrine or worſhip, but only God. If there be no Word of God to clear it, no Scripture to countenance an opinion; it is to be rejected as a Chimaera, a fancy of man.

But now an opinion may be new, in reſpect of reſtitution, and yet be a truth, when the worſhip of God comes to be reſtored, when doctrine comes to be cleared and ſetled; this is not any new inſtitution of doctrine or worſhip, but the reſtitution of it, it is not worſhip inſtituted, but worſhip reſtored. It is that worſhip which God hath preſcribed in his Word already, only now freed and cleared from the corruptions and pollutions of it.

Truth may be old in reſpect of inſtitution and preſcription, though new in reſpect of the reſtitution and reſtoring of it; as it was in Hezekiah's time: and it was the work of Chriſt, in Matth. 5.

Concluſ. 2. The newneſs of an opinion is enough to diſcover it an errour; if it be new in reſpect of being, but not if it be new in reſpect of obſervation. Indeed thoſe opinions, which are new in reſpect of being, that have no foundation in the Word, no being in the Scripture, they may be rejected as errours; but not ſuch as are new in reſpect of obſervation: there may be many precious truths, which are new to us, which yet are not new in themſelves: they are new in reſpect of our obſervation, we never took notice of them before, they were hid from our eyes, yet they are not new in reſpect of their being.

Augustins doctrine of converſion, that it is of grace, and not of free-will, was new in it's time, though now generally received; and then it was not new in reſpect of being, the Scriptures are full for it; but new in reſpect of obſervation, men had not obſerved, they had not taken notice of it before.

Luthers doctrine of justification, that it is of grace and not of works, was new alſo in it's time, and he had a world to oppoſe him, and crie it down for novelty; but this was not new in it's being, what doctrine have we more clear in the Word? But it was new in reſpect of obſervation.

Calvins doctrine of predeſtination, that it is of grace, and not of faith and works fore-ſeen; this was new in it's time, though a clear and ancient truth. It was not new in reſpect of it's being, it is clearly revealed in the Word, but new in reſpect of obſervation; it was clouded with errours, that men could not diſcern and take notice of it before.

This is certain, that towards the end of the world, as there will be the broachings of many errours, ſo there ſhall be the diſcovery of many glorious truths, as I have fully cleared to you. I ſpeak not this to countenance any errour, that our times or after times ſhall ſet on foot: but to take off prejudice that lies upon any doctrine or truth, either newly, or more clearly and fully diſcovered, that they reject it not for the newneſſe of it.

I have obſerved it in all ages,Fama miratrix ſenioris aevi. See Iewels Sermon on Hag. 1.2, 3, 4. p. 171, &c. that as the name of Antiquity hath been the pretence for many errours: ſo novelty hath been the plea which men have uſed in all ages againſt the truths diſcovered in their generations.

Since God hath broken the Antichriſtian yoak, which lay upon all the world, there is ſcarce any generation which he hath not honoured with ſome new or fuller diſcoveries of truth.

See Iewel to the ſame Sermon. Mark 1.27 Act. 17.19.Antichriſt had corrupted all, both worſhip and doctrine, and there muſt be a time of clearing that which he hath corrupted: and when that is done, he ſhall fall, for he ſhall be conſumed with the breath of Chirsts mouth: and God doth honour every age with ſomething, he reforms us by parcels: and this hath been the prejudice againſt truth in all generations, the novelty of it: this hath been the plea, that corrupt hearts have had againſt the truths of their generation, they are new things, when indeed they are not new, in reſpect of their being, but in reſpect of their obſervation.

Nay, and from the beginning it hath been the ſame pretence, that careleſs and Atheiſticall hearts have had againſt the truths of God. You ſee in Chriſts time, and in the Apoſtles time, when they revealed the will of God, they judged all to be new, What new doctrin is this that we hear? they ſaid ſo of Chriſts, Mark 1.27. and the like of the Apoſtles, Act. 17.19. Let us hear what new doctrine is this you teach. And in after ages there was the ſame ſpirit in men, they adhered to their old cuſtoms and their ancient waies, and rejected what ever was contrary to them, as new. It was Auguſtins complaint,aHic eſt mos diabolicus, ut per antiquitatis traducem commendetur fallacia This is the devils cuſtom, to commend errour to us for truth, under the notion of Antiquity. Cuſtom without verity, is the antiquity of errour. Again,bSi conſuetudinem fortaſſis opponas, &c. adverterdum eſt quod Dominus dicit, ego ſum via, veritas & vita if you doe oppoſe cuſtom to truth, conſider what Chriſt ſaith, I am the way, the truth and the life. cNō lixit, ego …um conſuetudo, ſed veritas. Aug.He doth not ſay, I am cuſtom, but, I am truth.

And beſides him, others have had the ſame ſpirits to conflict withall. Cyprian tells thoſe of his time. Every cuſtom, although old and common, yet is inferiour to truth, and that custom which is contrary to truth, is to be aboliſhed.

Another hath theſe words,dReligionis authoritat non tempore aeſtimanda eſt, ſed numine: ne que enim quo die, ſed quid colere caeperis in tueri convenit: quod verum eſt, ſerum non eſt. Arnob. Quod nos agemus, novum, quod vos, priſcum The authority of Religion is not to be reckoned by time, but by revelation; nor art thou to take notice what day this worſhip began, but what this worſhip is [which began at that time] that which is truth is not late. The ſame Authour dealing with thoſe which did plead Antiquity againſt truth, he ſaith, That which we ſay is new, and that which you doe is old; but what doth this help you or weaken us? The authority of truth is not to be meaſured by time, but by revelation.

And Tertullian dealing with the ſame ſpirits in his generation ſaith,fHere…es non tam novitas, quam verita… revincit: quodcun que contra veritatem ſap…t, haereſis eſt, etiam vet… conſuetudo. Tertul. Novelty doth not confute an errour, but the truth: what ever is contrary to truth, doth ſavour of hereſie, even though it be the moſt ancient cuſtom.

And Bernard tels us of the wicked tongues of men,gQui cum manifeſt… …umen obnubulare nō queunt, de ſolu novitatis nomine ca villantur. Bern. Conſ. Park. de polit. eccleſ…t 2. c. 20 p. 254 who when they are not able to cloud or darken the evident light, they cavil at it for a novelty. But in vain doe thoſe alledge cuſtom, who are convinc…d with reaſon; reaſon is to be preferred before cuſtom, much more is truth and the authority of God.

I name theſe for this end, to ſhew you that it hath been the ſpirit of corrupt m…n in all ages, to reject thoſe things, which are contrary to their erroneous cuſtoms, for novelties and new things.

And it is the ſame ſpirit, which acts in men to this day, they will rather adhere to an old errour, then embrace a new truth. I ſay, ſuch a truth as is not new in reſpect of it's being, but only in reſpect of our obſerving. I might inſtance in many things: what if I ſhould ſingle out this one only, viz. our Lyturgie? It may be you will ſay this was compoſed by learn'd and holy men, ſuch as were Reformers in their time; it was ſo: but there was never any Reformation, ſince defection to Antichriſtianiſme, but in time that Reformation hath been diſcovered to ſtand in need of further Reformation, we know but in part, and God doth reveal his will gradually, not all at once. The Church grows to perfection, not all at once, but by degrees, and it may be they went as farre then, as the times would ſuffer, there is ſomething implied to that purpoſe in the front of it: they had a contrary ſtream to conflict withall, being newly come out of Poperie. And I know not whether is the greater wonder of theſe two, that they went ſo farre then at the firſt jump out of Popery, when ſo many to oppoſe them; or that we never went farther ſince, after ſo many years preaching of the Goſpel to us.

Certainly they were holy men, precious men in their Generation, but yet not perfect men: thou rejects their holineſs, and cloſeſt with their imperfections: thou adhereſt to their imperfections, and makes uſe of their holineſs, for no other end, but to retain their imperfections, ſuch, which if they lived in our daies themſelves would diſclaim.

They were holy men; and I may ſay of thee as Augustine did to the Donatists, who alleadged Cyprian to patronize them in their errour,iQuod in Cypriano naevu…, in vobis fuligo eſt, &c. Aug. That which was a ſpot in Cyprian is Tartarian darkneſs and ſmoak in you. Or as another anſwered the Armenians, who ſaid, they held the ſame things with the Fathers,kQuod in patrib… error, in Armenis haereſis eſt. That which was but an errour in the Fathers, is a hereſie in the Armenians. Or as another ſpeaking of the African Fathers,lPatres Africani ex ignorantia de…epti ſuere vo… vero ex malitia peccatis. Nobis vero qui admoniti & edocti ſumus, nulla ejuſmo… indulgentia relinquitur Cy The African Fathers were deceived out of ignorance, but you ſinne out of malice; theirs was the imp…rfection of their knowledge; but yours is the perverſeneſs of your wils. Or I may ſay as another. If any of our Predeceſſours failed out of ignorance or imperfection of knowledge, God will pardon that, but we that are warned and taught, we may ſuſpect that indulgence for us.

It is that which Jewel hath out of Hillar: againſt the wilfull in his time.mIllu in eo quod neſ…unt poteſt adhuc in tuto eſſe ſalus fieredant, ribi vero jam omnia a…ſaturem c…au…a ſūt que negas quo… …am ignorare non potes. Hil. Men may be ſaved though they hold many errours of ignorance, but all waies of life are ſhut up to thee, who denies that which thou cannot be ignorant of, unleſs you will wilfully ſhut your eyes.

Chryſoſtom hath a good expreſſion for it,nQui in luce peccat impudentior eſt, ex ſuribus enim leges eos gravius puniunt, qui interdiu ſurantur. Chryſ in …al …. Thoſe are the boldeſt ſinners, who will ſin in the times of light: the Laws doe ever puniſh thoſe theeves worſt that ſteal in the day, and of all ſinners, thoſe ſhall have moſt ſtripes, that ſin in the light, and oppoſe the light.

Certainly thoſe of our Predeceſſours that have gone before us, were learned and holy men in their generation, yet as the Apoſtle ſaith of himſelf, I may ſay of any age in the world, we know but in part. And what Solomon ſaith of perſons, I may ſay of things, Prov. 4.18. The path of the juſt is as the ſhining light, that ſhineth more and more unto the perfect day. There is no age is ſo excellent, but after ages have excelled them.oNon ita leviter de Scriptoribus recentioribus …entiendum, quaſi Patribus praeponendi non eſſent. Ne que adeò de Patribus magnificè cenſendum, quaſi Neo…ericis poſt ponendi non v…derentur. Conſul. Park. de polit. eccleſ lib. 2 cap 14. pag. 233, 234, &c. We are not to think, ſaith one, ſo lightly of modern and late Writers, as if they were not (in ſome things) to be preferred before the Fathers; nor to think ſo highly of the Fathers, as if they were not ſhort of them that come after them. They were all famous in their generations,The collection of Weemes upon Rev. 1.13. Conſul. etiā & Parker. l. 2. c. 14 p. 234. I love not to make compariſons. But yet Wickliffe, Hus, Jerome of Prage, Whitaker, &c. come not ſhort of any. I have read an obſervation of one, that Juſtin Martyr (who lived in the ſecond Century) had more errours in one Tome, then Auguſtine (who lived in the fourth Century) had in ten. And there ſeems to be much in the Word to countenance fuller diſcoveries, and clearer revelations of truths, to after, then former ages. Some Divines have gathered it from the Girdle, which under the Law was about their loyns, now it is about the paps, by which they thinke to be ſhadowed out the greater perfection of the after ages of the Church, then the former. Some think it to be ſhadowed forth in*Brightman in locum. Quia Pellucidum & ab omni humano fermento purum. Conſ. P…rk. de polit. eccleſ p. 235, &c. Bright. in Apoc. 14. c. 14.2, 6. c. 15.2, 5. &c. Park. de polit. eccle. l. 2. c. 14, per totum. Revel. 14.2. where they ſay, the doctrine of the fathers for the indiſtinct ſound is compared to the noiſe of many waters, which doth ſtrike the ear with an unprofitable ſound: But the doctrine of the later Writers, Revel. 14.2, 3. to the voice of harps, and the harps of God, that is, the moſt excellent, Rev. 15.2, 3.

Some again would have it ſhadowed out by the ſea of glaſſe like cryſtall, Revel. 4 6. Revel. 15.2. under which, ſay they, is ſhadowed the clearneſſe of the worſhip of God from humane corruptions, which ſhall be in the latter daies, for the times wherein the Fathers lived, which were in the third and fourth Century chiefly. The ſea was not then of glaſſe, but it was terrene and bloudy, as it is ſet forth in Revel. 8.8. and that by reaſon of the mountain caſt into the ſea, which was the mountain of Epiſcopacie and Patriark-ſhip. Much more might be ſaid of it: but I ſhall referre my Reader to the Authours in the margin. And thus much ſhall ſerve for the firſt Question, and alſo for the ſecond.

My admonition to you is this, that when you plead antiquitie, or ancientneſſe of cuſtom, take heed of taking mens cuſtoms for Gods commands, or adhering to mens practices, without the preſcriptions of God. That is not truly ancient which men have long practiſed, but that is true antiquity which God hath preſcribed: if cuſtom (though it be never ſo ancient) be without preſcription from God, it is but old errour, and to be aboliſhed.

And for the ſecond, viz. the Novelty of doctrin, my admonition is, that you would distinguiſh between thoſe things which are new in reſpect of being, and ſuch things as are new in reſpect of obſervation: things may be new to you, and yet not new in themſelves.

Take heed of rejecting any doctrine meerly under the notion of new: you may ſo reject truth as well as errour. It may be the doctrine is not new in it ſelf, though new to you. Againſt this rock many have ſplit themſelves, wilfully ſhutting their eyes againſt the diſcoveries of their times, under the pretence of novelty. The moſt precious truths that are have been in their generations looked upon as new: there is nothing which you hold different from Poperie; but in their generation, when firſt they were revealed and manifeſted, they have been looked upon and rejected for novelties.

If your ſpirits had lived in the times of Luther and Calvin, they would have rejected all thoſe things which they diſcovered, under the ſame notion which you reject truth in theſe daies: though indeed there was nothing which they held was new, in reſpect of being, but only new, in reſpect of obſervation: nay there was nothing in which Luther diſſented from Popery, but it was condemned in all Councels which were before that Antichriſtian Councel or conventicle of Trent, when ſurely God ſealed to the bill of divorce againſt them.

But I have done with the firſt and ſecond Queſtion: there are many more which we ſhall now ſpeak unto in their order. The third is this.

Qu. Whether it be not a ſufficient character to evidence an opinion to be erroneous, the wickednes of them that maintain it?

Anſw. It is with moſt men, that they take up their judgement of an opinion, not from the precepts of God, but from the practices of thoſe men, who are the Authours and receivers, the maintainers and entertainers of it; if they ſee a man to walk holily and unblameably in his life and converſation (though this a man may doe, and yet not be holy in heart and affection) they preſently conclude that all that comes from ſuch men is truth, and hereupon are ready to ſwallow and entertain as truth, without any further debate, what ever comes from them. On the contrary, if they ſee mens practices are irregular, they preſently conclude their judgement is irregular too, and that is a falſe light, which carries a man into by-paths; certainly, ſay they, true light would direct and ſteer men into paths of holineſſe. This is ſtill concluded on; That men of a bad life, are certainly men of as ill a belief, and ſin in practice is a ſure note of errour in judgement. And there is great reaſon for ſuch thoughts, becauſe if the things received were truth, they would have a great influence into mens lives, they would have a great command over mens practices and waies.

And if the light within them were not directive, certainly it would be afflictive, if it did not guide them, it would ſcourge them, and they could not be able to live in ſinfull practices, againſt ſuch eminent convictions of light to the contrary; and therefore they conclude, ſuch as is the practice, ſuch is the principle, and that ſinfull life is accompanied with as bad doctrine; where men doe walk in darkneſſe, and doe works of darkneſſe, ſurely they are in darkneſſe, there is no light in them. It was the Fathers argument of Nero, who was a wicked man, a monster of men, Certainly that is the truth, which Nero perſecutes. And ſo doe we conclude, certainly that is errour which theſe men countenance, and truth which they oppoſe: thoſe are errours in judgement, which are accompanied with ſuch ſins in life, and that judgement cannot but be erroneous, where the life is ſo enormious.

Thus it is with moſt men, they take up the judgement of things, by mans practices, not by Gods precepts, by mens walking, not by Gods rules: and indeed the lives and practices of men are great obstacles and ſtumbling blocks to the entertainment of truth, if bad, and as great advantages to errour, if unblameable. And to ſpeak truth, theſe are probable grounds of truth and errour, but they are not infallible evidences. I ſay they are probable grounds.

The end of all truth is to reform our lives, to transform our hearts. And the power of truth doth enable men to live holily. It doth not only teach us to doe ſo, Tit. 2.11, 12. The grace of God hath appeared, teaching us to deny ungodlineſſe and worldly luſts—But it doth inable us to doe ſo, it is called a ſanctifying truth, Joh. 17.17. Sanctifie them with thy truth. So that certainly it is a probable ſigne, where men are ſinfull in their lives, they are erroneous in their judgements too.

But yet it is not an infallible evidence. It's poſſible to be erroneous in judgement, and yet unblameable in converſation. The Phariſees they were unblameable in their converſation, who could charge them? you may reade how he vaunts himſelf over the poor Publican, Luk. 18.11. But yet you know he was erroneous in his judgement. The like I may ſay of Arius, of Arminius, they were ſaid to be men unblameable in their lives, but yet fearfull erroneous in their judgements, one denying the deity of Chriſt, and the other denying the grace of Chriſt; under the pretence of extending it to all, they overthrow the nature of it, and give it to none.

And are not many of the Papiſts alſo ſtrict and unblameable in their lives, as who more ſtrict then they, who look for justification and ſalvation by what they doe? you ſhall have more charitable works from thoſe who look to purchaſe heaven by them, or thoſe who thinke by them to perſwade with God, and to procure Gods favour to them (I ſpeak it not without ſorrow) then from thoſe who yet have the affection of charity, and only look for, and are aſſured of their ſalvation by Chriſt alone. Men doe not work ſo freely from ingagement, as to ingage, not from ſenſe of mercy and thankefulneſſe for it, as to procure mercy and ingage God to them: but this by the way. Now to return; I ſay, ſome of the moſt devout of the Papiſts are ſtrict and unblameable in their lives, yet are they erroneous in their judgements: ſo that you ſee it is poſſible to be erroneous in judgement, and yet unblameable in life and converſation with men.

And again, I ſay, it is poſſible to be right in judgement, and yet naught in life: all convinced men are not converted men: all that are ſound in judgement in the main things are not holy of life: their paſſions and corrupt and ſinfull affections, blinde their judgements in this or that particular act, or may overpower their judgements, and ſway and carry them in thoſe waies which their own light and conſcience condemns them in.

And theſe are thoſe which we call, ſinners against conſcience, againſt light: of which ſort are moſt of they who live in the Church of God. They are men ſelf-condemned, their conſciences and light within them, tels them they doe wickedly and ſinfully, but yet their paſſions and corrupt affections carry them on violently in thoſe waies of ſin. But now ſuch men are right in judgement, only by the power of argument, the evidence of reaſon, not by the demonſtration of the spirit; that light they have of truth, it is but a common, not a ſaving, not a ſanctifying light; it is but a generall, not a spirituall, powerfull, transforming and changing light.

The Toad, though the whole body be poyſon, yet they ſay it hath a pearl in its head: it ſerves thus farre for our turn, it is one of the beſt pearls ever was found in it, though men may have poyſonous hearts, and are of corrupt lives, yet may they be for a time right in judgement in main things. I ſay, 1. For a time. And, 2. In main things, with thoſe two reſtrictions it may hold.

1. For a time, for it will not be long, either the light will overcome ſin in life, or the ſinfull life will darken and obſcure the light. God ſaith ſo, 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11. They who receive the truth, and not with love of it, they ſhall be given up to ſtrong deluſions to believe lies, &c. And becauſe we know not when God may leave ſuch men, and give them up to blindeneſſe of minde, to ſtrong deluſions, and to their hearts luſts; therefore is it not ſafe, to receive knowledge, or rather doctrine from their lips.

2. The ſecond reſtriction is in main things, for a time they may be right in their judgements in main things, that is, in generall and common things, which are of univerſall reception, and have univerſall conſent, of which things either by education, or by induſtry, and art, and diligence they have gotten, and acquired the light and knowledge of. God reveals no ſecrets to them, thoſe he reſerves to impart to his friends; he tels us, The ſecrets of the Lord are with them that fear him, Pſal. 25.14. And Chriſt tels his Diſciples, Henceforth I call you not ſervants, but friends. And upon this ground, Becauſe what ever I have heard of the Father, I have made known to you, Joh. 15.15.Joh. 15.15 Others have the Hiſtory of truth, the hiſtoricall knowledge of things, but the godly have the myſterie, the myſticall conceptions of them, To you it is given to know the myſteries of the kingdom of God. Others have the bark and outward rine of truth, Illi corticem, pij medullam veritatis. 1 Cor. 2. ult.but the Saints have the marrow and ſpirit of it, We have the minde of Christ, 1 Cor. 2. ult. Unregenerate men may have the out-ſide, but there are ſecrets in truth, in every truth, which they know not. The Apoſtle ſpeaks plain, The carnall man is not able to underſtand the things of the Spirit of God: and upon this ground, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, 1 Cor. 2.14.1 Cor. 2.14 he may diſcern of them as a man, but not as a Chriſtian; he may diſcern of them rationally, but not ſpiritually. As there is need of a naturall eye and light, to ſee naturall things, and of a rationall underſtanding to conceive of rationall things: So there is need of a ſpirituall eye and light, to diſcern of ſpirituall things, there is as much disproportion between ſpirituall and rationall things, and a ſpirituall and rationall eye; as there is between an animal or ſenſitive eye, and a rationall eye, the rationall perception of things is not ſo farre above ſenſitive, as the spirituall is above the rationall perception of things.

I ſay, man is not ſo much above a beaſt, as a Chriſtian above a man: there is ſomething of animality of the beaſt in man, but there is nothing of a Chriſtian, faith and ſpirituall underſtanding of things in him: faith is as much above reaſon, as reaſon is above meer ſenſe.

Which might have been a 3^d reſtriction, that unrenewed men or men of corrupt life, they may be of right judgement for a time, in many things, but as men, not as Chriſtians, by the light of reaſon, not the demonſtration of the ſpirit.

And therefore you ſee, though it be a probable ſigne of errour, when the entertainers of it are men of looſe and corrupt lives, yet it is not an infallible evidence, for even ſuch men may for a time be right in judgement in main things. The Raven might bring good meat to Elijah, though ſhe her ſelf was an unclean bird, the bird was unclean, but the meat it brought was good; indeed it was but once, we never read of a ſecond time, that either the Raven brought it, or Elijah received it, and it was, when he was in the wilderneſſe too; when we are in the wilderneſſe and ſtraits, we may receive bread from a Raven: God may make uſe of a Raven to bring bread, but we are to expect and receive our daily bread from better hands.

Indeed it's true,Non quis, ſed quid affertur. Morton. Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 Iſa. 8.20. we are not to look ſo much upon him that brings it, as the meat that is brought; we are not ſo much to look upon perſons, as doctrines; we ſhould rather judge of truth and errour by Rule and Scriptures, then by life and practice, thither God ſends us, Iſai. 8.20. To the law, and to the testimonies, if they speak not according to this truth, it is becauſe the light is not in them. Men of corrupt life may deliver to you many excellent truths, either out of evidence of reaſon, convictions of conſcience, or for mercinary ends, or for applauſe and ostentation; the Apoſtle told us of ſome that preached Christ out of envie, Phil. 1.15.Phil. 1.15. Certainly there is an errour of both hands, we may have mens perſons in too much admiration, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Jude verſ. 16.Jude v. 16. You eſteem too much of men, when you will drinke in and receive an opinion, becauſe ſuch bring it, and you eſteem too little of God and truth, when you reject the minde of God, becauſe ſuch reveal it: it was the ſpeech of Chriſt concerning the Phariſees, Mat. 23.2, 3.Mat. 23.2, 3. They ſit in Moſes chair, all therefore whatſoever they bid you obſerve, that obſerve and doe, but doe not after their works. That which Chriſt ſpake concerning the Phariſees, I conceive to be reſtrained to thoſe times, and to that ſubject of the Law.

1. It was to be reſtrained to that ſubject of the Law: they were the Interpreters and preachers of the Law, & Chriſt would have the people hear thē of it: certainly he would not have them hear them upon other ſubjects: if they had preached that Jeſus was not the Chriſt, that he was not the Meſſiah, they were to expect a Meſſiah to come in viſible royalty and glory to deliver them from their enemies, as they underſtood that, 110. Pſalm and other places; but as for Chriſt, they knew, who he was, Is not Joſeph his father, and Mary his mother? ſay they:Joh. 6.41. and is not he the Carpenter? No queſtion this was the doctrine they preached; and therefore Chriſt reſtrain'd them to the ſubject; hear them while they preach the Law.

2. Yea and it was to be reſtrained to the time too, as yet the Moſaicall Law was not repealed, thoſe rites and Ceremonies were not yet abrogated, and therefore as yet they might hear them, and walk in the practice of thoſe things, but afterwards it would not be ſuffered, they who preached this doctrine were called falſe teachers, and the Apoſtle cals ſuch deceivers, ſeducers, falſe teachers, who preached obſervance of thoſe things, and told the people they were bound to be circumciſed and to keep the whole Law of Moſes.

This is certain,*Veritas à quocun que dicatur à ſpiritu ſancto eſt. Au. truth by whomſoever ſpoken, is of the holy Ghoſt. We believe truth though the devil ſpeak it, but we doe not believe it, becauſe he ſpeaks it, nor doe we goe to him for the Revelation of it.

It was a truth which he ſaid, I know thee who thou art, thou art Christ the Sonne of God: but we doe not believe it, becauſe he ſaid it, but becauſe God revealed it: nor yet do we doubt of it, becauſe he publiſhed it, who yet is a lyar, and might perhaps ſpeak this truth, that we might the rather ſuſpect it, becauſe a lyar ſaid it; but though he ſpake it, yet we doe not doubt it, becauſe God hath revealed it. So corrupt men [may] speak the truth, I doe not ſay they ought to be speakers of the truth: men of ſinfull lives and practices are not to be in that office, as dispencers of the Word and Sacraments; but take it, as I mean it [may] for ability in office, nor for right to office; I ſay, corrupt men may ſpeak the truth, but we doe not believe it, becauſe they ſay it, but becauſe God reveals it: nor doe we doubt of it, becauſe they publiſh it, ſeeing God hath declared it. Indeed I would not goe to a lyar to know the truth; nor ſhould I reject truth, though it come from a lyar: So I doe not goe to men of ſinfull lives to know the minde of God; nor doe I reject the minde of God, becauſe ſuch reveal it. I look not to hear all truth from them, The ſecrets of the Lord are alone with them who fear him: nor ſhall I hear of many, ſincerely made known: and thoſe which are revealed, I take them, not as theirs, but Gods, and cloſe with them, not becauſe they reveal them, but becauſe God hath revealed them.

I doubt not but men of corrupt hearts and lives may publiſh many truths, though they know few as they ought; the truths they publiſh are generall, God doth impart no ſecrets to them, they know nothing of the workings of God; and the grounds of publiſhing them, they are for pride and oſtentation; the end, that by this work they might have their gain: they walk in this way, as you doe in your trade, with mercenary ſpirits, not with holy and ſpirituall hearts.

And this I thought neceſſary to premiſe, and now we come to the anſwer of the Queſtion, viz. Whether the looſneſſe and wickedneſſe of the maintainers of an opinion, be not a ſufficient diſcovery, that the opinion maintained is an errour?

And I anſwer, though often times it is a probable ground, yet it is not alwaies an infallible evidence.

To the infallible judgement of an errour by the lives and converſations of thoſe that maintain it, we are to obſerve …eſe rules.

Rule. 1. See what agreement there is between his judgment Rule 1 and his practice, between his opinion and his walking; it may be there is a contradiction between his life and his judgement, his judgement ſpeaks one thing, and his life another; now, if ſo, you are not able to evidence his opinion to be an errour, though his life be wicked. But if on the contrary you ſee an agreement between his practice and principles, between his life and opinion, between his judgement and converſation, then may we conclude it to be an errour; that is certainly an errour, that agrees with looſe and ſinfull walking.

Rule 2. If you would judge of mens doctrino by their ſinfull Rule 2 practice: ſee what influence his opinion hath to ſuch practices, if his opinion doth neceſſarily, or by way of conſequence lead to ſinfulneſſe of life: it is certainly an erroneous opinion: for example, to take men off the performance of duty, to cry down the Law as a rule of obedience, it is an opinion that doth neceſſarily lead to libertiniſme and ſinfulneſſe of life: men that will be tyed to no Rule, will ere long be under no command; men that neglect the practice of holineſſe, will quickly fall into the practice of ſin; they who will not doe what they ſhould doe, will quickly doe that which they ſhould not doe.

Rule 3 Rule 3. If you would judge of mens doctrines by their practices, then ſee whether this be a perſonall failing of one in the way, or an univerſall aberration of all in the way. It is poſſible for men to fail and erre in a way of truth. David was in a way of truth, and yet had he many groſſe failings. It was the uſuall argument that wicked men have had againſt the waies of God: they have taken occaſion by the ſins of profeſſion, to fall upon profeſſion it ſelf: the Apoſtle complains, that men who lived ſcandalouſly were enemies to the croſſe of Christ, and cauſed the waies of God to be blasphemed. Indeed many men have fallen, and fallen foully, but yet their way hath not countenanced, but condemned them for it: their judgement had no influence into their ſinfull practice: the doctrine is pure, and holy, and good, and could have no influence into a ſinfull life.

Nor hath their failings been univerſall, but perſonall: though ſome have fallen in the way, yet God hath preſerved others holy, and made many of them who have fallen, the better for their ſins: you are not to be led by practice, but by precept; not example, but rule. It is poſſible for ſome perſons that hold ſuch an opinion or doctrine, to fail in it; but when the corruption cleaves to all that walk in the way, it is a dangerous Symptoms of the way to be erroneous.

Rule 4 Rule 4. If you would judge of an opinion by practice of men, or of a doctrine, to be erroneous, by the looſneſſe of the maintainers: then ſee whether that looſneſſe doe ariſe from the errour of their judgement, or from the corruption of their affections: ſee whether it doe ariſe from his opinion, or from his corruptions; whether from the unſoundneſſe of his head, or the unſoundnes of his heart.

There are many errours in life, which yet have not their riſe from errour in underſtanding, but from corruption in the affection: it may be the light within them doth judge and condemn ſuch waies, and them for them; but yet they are over-powred by the violence and impetuouſneſſe of their luſts and corruptions, which carries them head-long againſt all the checks of conſcience, and gain-ſaying of their underſtanding.

To conclude then this Queſtion, the wickedneſſe and looſneſſe of thoſe who are the maintainers of an opinion, is enough to evidence an opinion to be erroneous.

The Arraignment of Error, Text (4 of 9)