Without Controversy
'Without Controversy'
It is so under the broad seal of public confession, as the word ὁμολογουμένως in the general signifies; by the confession of all, it is
'great.' It is a confessed truth, that the 'mystery of godliness is great.'
As if the apostle had said, I need not give you greater confirmation; it is, without question or controversy, a great mystery.
Obj. What is more opposed than the mystery of godliness?
Ans. We must therefore take St Paul's meaning in a right sense. It is therefore 'a great mystery,' because it is controverted by so many great wits.* Were it altogether obvious and open, they would never controvert it. Upon these two reasons it is without controversy.
(1.) First, In itself, it is not to be doubted of. It is a great grounded truth, as lightsome and clear as if the gospel were written with a sunbeam, as one saith (e). There is nothing clearer and more out of controversy than sacred evangelical truths.
(2.) And as they are clear and lightsome in themselves, so they are apprehended of all God's people. However it be controverted by others, yet they are not considerable. All that are the children of the church, that have their eyes open, they confess it to be so, and wonder at it as a 'great mystery.' They without all doubt and controversy embrace it. Things are not so clear in the gospel that all that are sinful and rebellious may see whether they will or no. For then it were no great matter to have faith; it were no great matter to be a Christian; and then men could not be rebellious, because things would be so clear. Things are not so clear in the gospel that they take away all rebellion; and that it is not a grace to see that they are clear; to those that are disposed and have sanctified souls, they are 'without
controversy;' and things are said to be in Scripture as they are to those that are holily disposed. The immortality of the soul, it is clear by reason from nature, yet notwithstanding, ill-disposed souls will not be convinced of the soul's immortality, but live and die like atheists in that particular. The reason is clear; but it is not clear to a lumpish, ill-disposed, perverse soul. Therefore God doth carry the manifestation of evangelical truths especially, that they may be clear to those whose eyes are open, and not to others: not because they are not clear to them if their eyes were open, but because they oppose them, and raise up rebellion and stubbornness of heart against them.
It is an undeniable argument to prove the Scripture to be the word of God, to a well-disposed soul, but come to another, and he will never leave cavilling. Yet a man may say, 'without controversy,' it is the word of God, because it is so to a sanctified soul. Other persons are not considerable in divine things. Therefore the apostle speaks of them, as they are to God's people, 'without controversy.' Hence then, we may know who is a true Christian; he that brings a firm assent to evangelical truths, that they are 'great without controversy.'
Quest. But is there no staggering, is there no formido contrarii?† Is there no fear that it may be otherwise?
Ans. Yes. But in faith, as far as it is faith, there is no doubting, no contrariety; for staggering and wavering is contrary to the nature of faith and believing. But because there are two contrary principles always in a believer, therefore there is doubting in a believer, and wavering. Therefore we are exhorted to grow more and more; and the end of the ministry is not only to lay the foundation of a believer at the first, but to build them up, that they be not carried away with every vain doctrine. It is a truth, confessed to be true; for divine truths are conveyed in an history, in the history of the gospel; and what ground have we to call them in question, more than the story of
Thucydides, or the story of Livy, or such like? We take them, because they are the histories of such times. So the mystery of the gospel is
'without controversy,' because it is a mystery in a history. In this respect a man is more unreasonable that denies it, than he that denies Livy's book to be Livy's, or Tacitus to be Tacitus. No man calls these into question. Why should we question this that is the 'mystery of godliness,' set down in the history of Christ, of his birth, his life, and death? &c. But not to press that further.
Use 1. I will only make that use of it that a great scholar in his time once did upon the point, a noble earl of Mirandula (f). If there be no calling these things into question, if they have been confirmed by so many miracles, as they have been in a strict sense, why then, How is it that men live as if they made no question of the falsehood of them?
What kind of men are those that live as if it were 'without controversy,' that Christian truths had no truth at all in them? Men live so carelessly and profanely, and slight and scorn these great mysteries, as if they made no question but they are false (g). The lives of men shew that they believe not this. That it is out of the question true: to give an instance or two. If a man were to go through a storm for some great matter, if he did believe he should have some great preferment, would he not adventure? Certainly he would. Those, therefore, that will not venture anything for this excellent treasure, this unsearchable treasure, for his interest in the gospel, do they believe it? He that will not part with a penny for the gaining of a thousand pounds, doth he believe that he shall have so much?
Certainly he doth not. There is such a disproportion between that that he parts with, and that that is promised, that if he did believe it, his heart would yield and assent to it, he would redeem it with the loss of such a petty thing; much more in this case, having such an excellent treasure propounded. Those, therefore, that will deny themselves no lust, that will part with nothing for Christ's sake, do
they believe these things that the apostle saith are 'without controversy'? Certainly they do not; for there is a less disproportion in the things I named before, than between any earthly thing and the great good things we have discovered here in the mysteries of salvation. Therefore, we may see by this, there is little faith in the world.
Use 2. Again, in that he saith, 'Without controversy,' or confessedly, 'great is the mystery of godliness:' here we may know then, what truths are to be entertained as catholic universal truths, those that without question are received. Then, if the question be, which is the catholic truth—popery, or our religion—I say, not popery, but our religion. I prove it from hence. That which 'without controversy,' all churches have held from the apostles' time (yea, and the adversaries and opposites of the church), that is catholic. But it hath been in all times, and in all churches, even among the adversaries held, the positive points of our religion, that the Scripture is the word of God; that it is to be read; that Christ is the mediator; that Christ hath reconciled God and man, &c.,—all the positive parts of our religion have been confessed, 'without controversy,' ever since the apostles' times, of all writers; and are still, even among the papists themselves, for they hold all the positive points that we do: they hold the reading of the Scripture, but not in the mother tongue; they hold that the Scripture is the word of God, but not alone, but traditions also; that Christ is mediator, but not alone. So they add their part, but they hold the positive parts that we hold. Therefore I ground that from the text: that which 'without controversy' hath been held in all times and ages of the church, and 'without controversy' held by ourselves and the adversaries, it is more catholic and general than those things wherein they dissent from us, that were neither held from the apostles' times (for they were the inventions of popes, one after another; their fooleries, wherein they differ from us, they are late
inventions, and we hold them not), they are less catholic than that that they and we and all Christians hold ever since the apostles' times. But to come to a use of practice.
Use 3. Therefore when we have the truths of religion discovered to us by the ministry, or by reading, &c., when they are conveyed to our knowledge by any sanctified means, let us propound these queries to our own souls, Are these things so or no? Yes. Do I believe them to be so or no? Yes. If I do believe them, then consider what the affection and inward disposition is; whether it be suitable to such things, and so work upon our hearts that our knowledge may be affective knowledge, a knowledge with a taste, that sinks even to the very affections, that pierceth through the whole soul; that the affections may yield, as well as the understanding; and let us never cease till there be a correspondence between the affection and the truth. Are they true? Believe them. Are they good? Embrace them. Let us never rest till our hearts embrace them, as our understanding conceives them. And let us think there is a defect in our apprehensions, that we call them into question, if the affections embrace them not; for alway, answerable to the weight and the depth of the apprehension of the truth, is the affection stirred up, and the will stirred up to embrace it. A man knows no more in religion than he loves and embraceth with the affections of his soul.
The affections are planted for this end upon the report of that which is good to them, to embrace it, to join with it. Therefore let us never think our state good, till we find our hearts warmed with the goodness of divine supernatural truths. 'Oh! how do I love thy law!' saith David, Ps. 119:97. He wonders at his own affections. Let us labour to have great affections, answerable to the things; and never leave till we can love them and joy and delight in them, as the greatest things; and with blessed St Paul, account 'all as dung and