Twenty general OBSERVATIONs about the Rife
A Blow at the Root ; or, : him, whilst men labour in vain to convince him. He doth not formally, and in terms, condemn himself; but he doth so equivalently, whilst he continues to own and maintain doctrines and opinions which he finds himself unable to defend against the evidence of truth.
Human frailty may lead a man into the first, but devilish pride fixes him in the last.
The word of God, which is our rule, must therefore be the onlyteft and touchstone to try and discover errors ; for regula eft index fui & obliqui.
'Tis not enough to convince am an of error, that his judgment,differs from other mens ; you must bring it to the word, and try how it agrees or disagrees therewith; else he that charges another with error, may be found in as great or greater an error himself. None are more disposed easily to receive, and tenaciously to defend errors, than those who are the Antesignani, heads or leaders of erroneous sects ; especially after they have fought in defence of bad causes, and deeply engaged their reputation.
The following discourse justly entitles itself, A BLOW AT THE ROOT . And though you will here find the roots of ma- 'ny errors laid bare and open, which, comparatively, are of far different degrees of danger and malignity; which I here mention together, many of them springing from the fame root :
Yet I am farfromcenfuring them alike ; nor would I have any that are concerned in lesser errors be exasperated, because their lesser mistakes are mentioned with greater and more pernicious ones; this candour I not only intreat,but justly challenge from my reader.
And because there are many general and very useful observations about errors, which will not so conveniently come under the laws of that method which governs the main part of this discourse, viz. CAUSES and CURES of error: I have therefore sorted them by themselves, and premised them to the following part in twenty observations next ensuing.
** Twenty general OBSERVATIONS about the Rife and Increase of the ERRORS of the Times.
First Observation.
TRUT RUTH is the proper object, the natural and pleasant food of the understanding, Job xii. 11. Doth not the ear( that is, the understanding by the ear) try words, as the mouth tafleth meat ?
Knowledge is the assimilation of the understanding to
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
the truths received by it. Nothing is more natural to man, than adefire to know : knowledge never cloys the mind, as food doth the natural appetite; but as the one increaseth, the other is proportionably sharpened and provoked.
The minds of all (that are not wholly immersed in sensuality) spend their strength in the laborious search and pursuit of truth : sometimes climbing up from the effects to the causes, and then descending again from the causes to the effects ; and all to discover truth.
Fervent prayer, sedulous study, fixed meditations, are the labours of inquisitive fouls after truth.
All the objections and counter-arguments the mind meets in its way, are but the pauses andhesitations ofa bivious soul, not able to determine whether truth lies upon this side, or upon that.
Answerable to the sharpness of the mind's appetite, is the fineedgeof pleasure and delight it feels in the discovery and acquisition of truth.
When it hath racked and tortured itself upon knotty problems, and, at last, discovered the truth it fought for, with what joy doth the soul dilate itself, and run
(as it were with open arms) to clasp and welcome it ?
The understanding of man, at first, was perfpicacious and clear ; all truths lay obvious in their comely order and ravithing beauty before it: God made man upright, Eccl. vii. 29.
This rectitude of his mind consisted in light and knowledge, as appears by the prescribed method of his recovery, Col. iii. 10.
Renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.
Truth in the mind, or the mind's union with truth, being part of the divine image in man, discovers to us the fin and mischief of error, which is a defacing (fo far as it prevails) of the image of God.
No sooner was man created, but by the exercise of knowledge he foondiscoveredGod's image in him; and by his ambition after more, loft what he had.
So that now there is an haziness or cloud spread over truth by ignorance and error, the sad effects of the fall.
Obferv. 2. Of knowledge there are divers forts and kinds : some is human, and some divine ; some speculative, and some practical ; some ingrafted as the notions of morality, and some acquired by painful search and study: but of all knowledge, none like that divine and supernatural knowledge of saving truths revealed by Christ in the scriptures ; from whence ariseth the different degrees both of the finfulness and danger of errors ; those errors being always the worst, which are committed against the most important truths revealed in the gospel.
VOL. IV.
A Blow at the Root; or, These truths ly infolded either in the plain words, or evident and necessary consequences from the words of the Holy Scripture; scripture-consequences are of great use for the refutation of errors : it was by a scripture-consequence, that Christ fuccefsfullyproved the resurrection against theSadducees, Mat. xxii.
The Arians, and other heretics, rejected confequential proofs, and rquired the express words of Scripture only ; hoping, that way, to defend and secure their errors against the arguments and assaults of the orthodox.
Some think that reason and natural light is abundantly fuf. ficient for the direction of life; but certainly nothing is more necessary to us, for that end, than the written word; for tho' the remains of natural light have their place and use, in direct. ing us about natural and earthly things, yet they are utterly insufficient to guide us in spiritual and heavenly things,
1 Cor. ii . 14. " The natural man receiveth not the things of God," c. Eph . v. 8. " Once wereye in darkness, νῦν δὲὲφῶς εν κνυρίω, DOW are ye light in the Lord;" i. e. by abeam of heavenly light shining from the Spirit of Christ thro' the written word, inte your minds or understandings.
'Tis the written word which shines upon the path of our duty, Psal. cxix. 105. The scriptures of the OldandNewTestament dojointlymake the folidfoundation of a Christian'sfaith. Hence,
Eph. ii. 20. we are said to be built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. We are bound therefore to honourOld
Teßament scriptures, as well as new, they beingpartofthe divine canon; and must not scruple to admit them as sufficient, and authentic proofs, for the confirmation of truths, and refuta. tion of errors.
Christ referred the people to them, John v.
39. and Paul preached and disputed from them, Acts xxvi.
22.
Observe. 3. Unto the attainment of divine knowledge out of the scriptures,somethings are naturally, yet less princpallyrequisitein the subject; andsomethingabfolutely, and principally necessary.
The natural qualifications desirable in the subject, are clearness of apprehension, folidity of judgment, and fidelity of retention.
These are desirable requifites to make the understanding susceptible of knowledge; but the irradiationof the mind, by the Spirit of God, is principally necessary, John xvi . 13.
"He shall guide you into all truth:" The clearest andmolt comfortable light he giveth to men is in the way offanctification, called the teachings of the anointing, I John. ii. 27.
When this spiritualsanctifying lightshinesupona mind, natu
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rally enriched and qualified with the three forementionedrequifites,that mind excels others in the riches of knowledge.
And yet the teachings of the Spirit, in the way offanctification, do very much supply and recompense the defects and weaknefles of the forementioned qualifications.
Whence two things are highly remarkable :
1. That menofgreat abilities of nature, clear apprehenfions in natural things; strong judgments, and tenacious memories, do not only frequently fall into gross errors, and damnable herefies themselves, but become Herefiarchs, or heads of erroneous factions, drawing multitudes intothesame sin and misery with themselves ; as Arius, Socinus, Pelagius, Bellarmine, and multitudes of others have done.
And secondly, It is no less remarkable, that men of weaker parts, but babes in comparison, through the fanctification and direction of the Spirit, for which they have humbly waited at his feet in prayer, have not only beendirectedandguidedby him into the truth, but so confirmed and fixed therein, that they have been kept found in their judgments, in times of abounding errors; and firm in there adherence to it, in days of fiercest pers secution. Howmen of excellentnaturalparts have been blinded, and men of weak natural parts illuminated ; see 1 Cor. i. 26,
27. Mat. xi. 25.
Observ. 4. Among the manifold impediments to the obtaining of true knowledge, andfetthng the mind in the truth and faith of the gospel, these three are ofspecialremarkandconfideration ; viz. ignorance, curiosity, and error.
Ignorance lights it, ordespairs of attaining it.
Truth falls into contempt among the ignorant, from fluggishness, and apprehension of the difficulties that lie in the way to it, Prov. xxiv. 7. Wisdom is too high for a fool.
Curiosity runs beside or beyond it.
This pride and wantonness of the mind, puffs it up with a vain conceit, that it is not only able to penetrate the deepest mysteries revealed in the scripture, but even up revealed secrets also; Col. ii. 18.
Intruding into those things "which he hath not seen,vainly puffed up by his flethly mind."
But error militates directly against it, contradicts and opposeth
truth, especially when an error is maintained by pride against inward convictions, or means of better information.
'Tis bad to maintain an error for want of light ; but abundantly worse to maintain it against light.
This is such an affront to the Spirit of God, as he usually punishes with penal ignorance, and gives them up to a spirit of error..
Cc2
A Blow at the Root ; or, Observ. 5. Error is binding upon the conscience, as well as truth; and altogether as much, and, sometimes, more influential upon the affections and passions, as truth is
For it presents not itself to the soul in its own name and nature, as error; but in the name and dress of truth, and under that notionbinds the conscience, and vigorously influences the passions and affections; and then being more indulgent to lust, than truth is, it is, for that, so much the more embraced and hugged by the deceived foul, Acts xxii. 4, 5.
The heat that error puts the soul into, differs from religious zeal, as a feverish doth from a natural heat ; which is not, indeed, so benign and agreeable, but much more fervent and scorching. A mind under the power of error, is restless and impatient to propogate its errors to others, and these heats prey upon, and eat up the vital spirits and powers of religion.
Observ. 6. 'Tis exceeding difficult to get out error, when once it is imbibed, and hath rooted itself by an open profession.
Errors, like some forts of weeds, having oncefeeded in afield or garden, 'tis scarce possible to subdue and destroy them ; especially if they be hereditary errors, or have grown up with us from our youth,; a teneris affuefcere multum eft, faith Seneca ; 'tis a great advantage to truth, or error, to have a nearly and long possession of the mind.
The Pharisees held many erroneous opinions about the law, as appears by their corruptive commentaries upon it, refuted by Christ, Mat. v.
But did he root them out of their heads and hearts thereby ? No, no; they sooner rid him out of the world.
The Sadducees held a most dangerous error about the resurrection; Christ disputed with them, to the admiration of others, and proved it clearly against them; and yet, we find the error remaining long after Christ's death, 2 Tim. ii. 18. The apostles themselves had their minds tinctured with this error, that Christ should be outwardly great and magnificent in the world, and raise his followers to great honoursand preferments amongstmen.
Christ plainly told them it was their mistake and error ; "for the son of man came not " to be ministredunto, but to minister;" yet this did not rid their minds of the error; it sluck fast in ihem, even till his ascension to heaven. O how hard is it to clear the heart ofa goodmanonce leavenedwith error ! and much more hard to separate it from awickedman *.
* I am persuaded (faith Mr. Gurnal) some men take more pains
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
Some have chosen rather to die,than to part with their darling errors, and foul-damningherefies. I have read (faith Mr Bridges) of a great Atheist, that was burnt at Paris for blafpheming
Christ, held fast his Atheistical opinions till he came to the very stake ; boasted to the priests and friars that followed him, how much more confidently he went to sacrifice his life in the strength of reason, under which he suffered, than Christ himself did; but when he began to feel torments indeed, then he roared andraged to the purpose.
Vidi ego hominem, faith the author :
In his life, he was loose ; in his imprisonments, sullen; and at his death, mad with the horrors of conscience.
Some, indeed, have recovered the foundness of their judgments, after deep corruptions by dangerous errors.
Austin was aManichee, and fully recovered from it.
So have many more ; and yet multitudes hold them fast even to death, and nothing but the fire can reveal their work, and discover what is gold, and what is straw and stubble.
Observ. 7. It deserves a remark, That men are not so circumspectandjealous of the corruption of their minds by errors, as they are of their bodies in times of contagion; or of their lives, with respect to gross immoralities.
Spiritual dangers affect us less than corporal; and intellectual evils less than moral.
Whether this be the effect of hypocrisy, the errors of the mind being more secret and invisible than those of the conversation, God only knows, man cannot positively determine.
Or whether it be the effect of ignorance, that men think there is less sin and danger in the one than in the other; not considering, that an apoplexy seizing the head, is every way as mortal as a sword piercing the body: And that a vertigo will as muchunfit am an for service, as an ague or fever.
The apostle, in 2 Pet. ii . 1. calls them αιρεσεις απωλειας, damnable heresies, or heresies of destruction. An error in the mind may be as damning and destructive to the soul, as an error of immorality or profaneness in the life.
Or whether it may come to pass from some remains of fear and tenderness in the conscience, which forbids men to reduce their erroneous principles into practice; their lying under matofurnish themselves with arguments todefendsome error they have taken up, thantheydo for the most saving truths in the bible. Austin said, when he was a Manichaean, Non tu eras,fed error me us erat
Deus me us; Thou, O Lord, wert not, but my error was my God.
Furnal's Christian Armour, part 2, pag. 36.
A Blow at the Rost; or, ny confident errors in the mind, a secret jealousy, which we callformido oppofiti, which will not suffer them to act to the full height of their professed opinions.
Austin gives this character even of Pelagius himself, Retract. lib. II. cap. 33. Nomen Pelagiinonfinelaude aliqua pofui, quia vita ejusa multis praedicabatur: I have not mentioned (faith he)the name of that man, without some praise, because his life was famedby many. And of Swinkfeldius it is said, Caput regulatum ill i defuit, corbonum non defuit : His heart was much more regular than his head.
Yet this falls out but rarely in the world; for loose principles naturally run into loose practices; and the errors of the head into the immoralities of life.
Obferv. 8. It is a great judgment of God, to be given over to an erroneous mind.
For the understanding being the leading faculty, as that guides, the other powers and affections of the soul follow, as horses in a team follow the fore-horse. Now, how fad and dangerous a thing is this, for Satan to ride the fore-horse, and guide that which is to guide the life of man ? That's a dreadful, spiritual, judicial stroke of God which we read of, Rom. i. 26. πάρεδωκεν αυτες ο Θεος εἰς πάθη ατιμίας : God, by a penal tradition, suffered them to run into the dregs of immorality, and pollutions of life; and that, because they abused their light, and became vain in their imaginations, ver. 21 .
Wild whimfies and fancies in the head, usually mislead men into the puddle and mire of profaneness, and then 'tis commonly observed God sets some visible mark of his displeasure upon them; especially the Herefiarchs, or ring-leaders in error. storius his tongue was consumed by worms.
Cerinthus his brains knocked out by the fall of an house. Montanus hanged Nehimself: It were easy to instance in multitudes of others, whom the visible band of God hath marked for a warning to others; but usually the spiritual errors of the mind are followed with a confumptionand decay of religion in the soul.
If grace be in the heart, where error sways its fceptre in the head, yet usually there itlanguithes and withers. They may mistake their droply for growth and flourishing; and think themselves to be more spiritual, because more airy and notional ; but if men would judge themselves impartially, they will certainly find that the feeds of grace thrive not in the heart, when shaded and overdroptby an erroneous head.
Obferv. 9. 'Tis a pernicious evil, to advance a mere opinion into the place and feat of an article of faith ; and to lay as great a stress upon it, as they ought to do upon the most
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clear and fundamental point. To be as much concerned for a tile upon the roof, as for the corner-stone, which unites the walls, and sustains the building.
Opinion (as one truly faith) is but reason's projector, and the spy of truth ; it makes, in its fullest discovery, no more than the dawning and twilight of knowledge ; and yet, I know not how it comes to pass, but so it is, that this idolof the mind holds such a sway and empire over all we hold, as if it were all the day we had.
Matters of mere opinion, are every where cried up by some errorists, for mathematical demonstration, and articles of faith written with a fun-beam ; worshipping the fancies and creatures of their own minds, more than God; and putting more trust in their ill founded opinions, than in the surer word of prophecy.
Much like that Humorist that would not trust day-light, but kept his candle still burning by him ; because, saithhe, this is not subject to eclipses, as the fun is.
And what more frequent, when controverfies grow fervent, than for those that maintain the error, to boast every filly argument to be a demonstration; to upbraid and pity the blindness anddulness of their opposers, as men that shut their eyes against fun-beams; yea, sometimes, to draw their presumptuous cenfures through the very hearts of their oppofers, andtoinfinuate, that they must needs hold the truths of God in unrighteousness, fin against their knowledge, and that nothing keeps them from coming over to them, but pride, shame, or some worldly interest? What a complicated evil is here ! Here's a proud exalting of our own opinions, and an icamodest imposing on the minds of others, more clear and found than our own, and a dangerous ufurpation of God's prerogative in judging the hearts and ends of our brethren.
Observ. 10. Error being conscious to itself of its own weakness, and the strong assaults that will be made upon it, evermore labours to defendandfecure itself under the wings of antiquity, reason, scripture, and high pretensions to reformation and piety.
Antiquity is a venerable word, but ill used, when made a cloke for error.
Truth must needs be elder than error ; as the rule must necessarily be, before the aberration from it.
The grey hairs of opinions are thenonlybeauty, and a crown, when found in the way of righteousness.
Copper (faith learned Du Moulin) will never become gold by age. A lie will be a lie, let it be never so ancient. We dispute not by years, but by reasons drawn from scripture.
That which is now called an ancient opinion, if it be not a true opinion, was once but anew
A Blow at the Root ; or, error. When you can tellus, how many years are required to turn an error into truth, then we will give more heed to antiquity, when pressed in the service of error, than we now think due to it.
If antiquity will not do, reason shall be press'd to serve error's turn at a dead-lift; and, indeed, the pencil of reason can lay curious colours upon rotten timber, and varnish over erroneous principles, with fair and plausible pretences.
Whatexpertartistshave the Socinians proved themselves in this matter ?
But because men are bound to submit human authority and reason to divine revelation, both must give way, and strike fail to the written word.
Hence is comes to pass, that the great patrons and factors for error, do above all things, labour to gain countenance to their errors from the written word; and, to this end, they manifestly wrest and wrack the scriptures, to make them subservient to their opinions ; not impartially studying the scriptures first, and forming their notions and opinions according to them.
But they bring their erroneous opinions to the scriptures, and then, with all imaginable art and sophistry, wire-draw and force the scriptures to countenance and legitimate their opinions *.
But because pretences of piety and reformation & are the strokes that give life to the face of this idol, and give it the nearest resemblance unto truth, these therefore never fail to be made use of, and zealously professed in the favour of error, though there be little ofeithermanytimes to be found in their persons, and nothing at all in the doctrines that lay claim to it.
Observation 11. God in all ages, in his tender care for his churches and truths, hath still qualified and excited hisfervants,for thedefence of his precious truths, against the errors and herefies that havefuccessively afsfaultedthem.
As Providence is observed in every climate and ifsland of the world, to have provided antidotes against the poisonous plants and animals of the country, and the one is never far from the other : So is the care of his providence much moreconfpicuous
* Every heresy has the devil for the parent of its invention, and is obnoxious to the shame of so odious a name.
Itprofesses the Saviour's name, which is most excellent and transcends all, and is disguised under scripture expresions.
Athanafius againstArian.
+ Take heed, faith one, that when zeal for reformation knocks at the door, some new errors step not in with it, which will as much need an after reformation,
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in the case now before us.
When, or wheresoever, venomous errors, and deadly herefies do arise, he hath his servants at hand with antidotes against them.
WhenArius, that cunning anddeadlyenemy to theDeity of Christ, struck at the very heart of our religion, faith, and comfort; a man of subtle parts, and blameless life, which made his heresy much the more spreading and taking; the Lord had his well-furnished Athanafius in a readiness to resist and confound him.
And as he had his Athanafius to defend the Deity of Christ, so he wanted not his Basil to defend the doctrine of the holy Spirit against Macedonius.
So when. Pelagius was busily advancing free-will into the throne of free-grace, providence wanted not its mallet in learned and ingeniousAugustine, to break him and his idol to pieces.
And it is highly remarkable, (as the learned Dr. Hill observes), thatAugustine was born in Africa, the fame day that Pelagius was born in Britain.
WhenGottefchalchus published his dangerous doctrine about predestination, the Lord drew forth Hincmarus to detect and confute that error, by evincing clearly, that God's predestinationforces no man to fin.
So, from the beginning and first rise of Popery, that center and sink of errors, we have a large catalogue of the learned and famous witnesses, which, in all ages, have faithfully resisted and opposed it ; and when, notwithstanding all, it had even overrun Europe like a rapid torrent, or rather, inundation of the ocean, and Germany was brought to that pass, that if the Pope had but commanded it, they would have eaten grass or hay, morepecudum ; then did the Lord bring forth invincible Luther, and with him a troop of learned champions, into the field against him ; since which time, the cause ofPopery is become desperate.
Thus the care of providence, in all ages, hath been as much displayed in protecting the church against the dangers that arose from false brethren within it, as from avowed, persecuting enemies without it ; and had it not been so, the rank weeds of heresies and errors had long since over-topt and choaked the corn, and made the church a barren field.
Oferv. 12.
The want of a modest suspicion, and just reflex i on, gives both confidence and growth to erroneous opinions.
If matters of mere opinion were kept intheirp roper place, under the careful guard of suspicion, they would not make
VOL . IV.
A Blow at the Root ; or; thatbusile and confusion in the churches they have done, and do at this day.
It is confessed, that all truths are not matters of mere opinion; neither are all opinions of equal weight and value; and therefore not to be lefthangingin an equipendiousscepticism.And yet it is as true, that matters of opinion ought carefully to be sorted from matters of faith, and to be kept in their own rank and class, as things doubtful, quibus poteft fubeffefalfum ; whilst matters of faith clearly revealed, are to stand upon their own sure and firm basis. The former, viz. matters of mere opinion, we are so to hold, as upon clearer light to be ready to part with them, and give them up into the hands of truth.
The other, viz. matters of faith, we are to hold with resolution to live and die by them.
What is opinion,but the wavering of the understanding betwixt probable arguments, for and against a point of doctrine ?
So that it is rather an inclination than an assertion, as being accompanied with fear, floating and inconstancy.
In such cases there should be a due concession and allowance of other mens opinions to them, and why not, whilst they offer as fair for the truth as we ? and haply their parts, helps, and industries are not inferior to ours ; it may be beyond them; and we maydifcern in them as much tenderness of conscience, and fear of fin, as in ourselves.
In this case, a little more modest suspicion in our opinions, would do the church a great deal of right; and that which should prevail with all modest persons to. exercise it, is the just reflex i on theymaymake upon their own former confident mistakes.
Observ. 13. There is a remarkable involution or concatenation of errors, one linking in, and drawing another after.
Amongst all erroneous sects, there is still some πρῶτον ψευδος, some Helena, for whose sake the war against truth is commenced; and the other lesser errors are pressed for the sake and service of this leading darling error. As we fee the whole
* troop of indulgences, bulls, masses, pilgrimages, purgatory, with multitudes more, flow from, and are pressed into the service of the Pope's fupremacyand infallibility ; so, in other sects, men are forced to entertainmanyother errors, which, in them- * Πρώτον ψευδος. The leading error of the church of Rome is,
That all things must be subjected to the supreme judgment and tribunal of the church over which the Pope presides.
Thence it is concluded, That all the traditions of the Romith church, and all their tenets and decrees, whether of the Popes or their councils, are to be stedsastly maintained.
Fred. Span. Elench. Controv. p. 51.
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selves considered, they have no great kindness for; but they are neceffitatedtoentertainthem indefence of that great, leading, darling opinion they first efpoused.
Those that cry up, and trumpet abroad the sovereign power of free-will, even without the preventing graceofGod, enablingmen to supernatural works, as if the will alone had escaped all damage by the fall, andAdamhad not finned in that noble virgin-faculty. To defend this idol, which is the πρῶτον ψευδος, they are forced to oppugn anddenyseveral other great and weighty truths, as particular, eternal election, the certainty of the saints perseverance, the necessity of preventing grace in conversion : which errors are but the out-works raised in defence of that idol.
So in the baptismal controversy, men would never have adventured to deny God's covenant with Abraham, to be a covenant of grace; or to assert the ceremonial law, fo full of Christ, to be an Adam's covenant of works; and circumcision, exprefly called the seal of the righteousness of faith, to be the condition of Adam's covenant. Much less would they place all the elect of God in Israel, at one and the same time, under the severest curse and rigour of the law, and under the pure covenantofgrace, were they not forced into these errors and abfurdities bydint of argument, in defence of their darling opinion.
Obferv. 14. Errors abound most, and spring fastest, in the times of the church'speace, liberty, andoutwardprofperity, under indulgent rulers.
Arianism sprung up under Constantine's mild government*.
Christian, benevolent rulers are choice mercies and blessings to the church.
Such as rule over men in the fear of God, are to the church, as well as civil state, " like the light of the morning, when the fun arifeth; even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining
" after rain," 2 Sam. xxiii. 4.
But this, as well as other mercies, is liable to abuse ; and under the influences of indulgent governors, error, as well as truth, springs up, flowers and feeds.
Persecution gives check to the wantonness of mens opinions, and finds them other and better work to do.
Caterpillars and locusts are swept * Eufebius records, That Arius Alexandrian began to vent his distracted heresy at Alexandria, in the year of our Lord 324, and in the 15th year of the reign of Constantine.
Dd 2
A Blow at the Root ; or, away by the bitter east winds, but swarm in halcyon days, and fall upon every green thing.
So that the church rides in this respect, more safely in the stormy sea, than in the calm har bour.
Peace and prosperity is apt to cast its watchmen into a sleep ; and whilst they sleep, the envious onesowethtears, Matth, xiii. 25.
It was under Constantine's benign government, that poison was poured out into the churches.
The abuse offuch an excellent mercy provokes the Lord to cut it short, and cause the clouds to gather again after the rain.
We have found it so once and again (alas, that I must say again !) in this wanton and foolish nation.
Professors could live quietly together, converse, fast, and pray in a Christian manner together, under common cala mities and dangers : differences in opinion were suspended by consent. But no tooner do we feel a warm, sun-blast of liber tyandpeace, but it revives and heats our dividing lusts and corruptions, instead of our graces.
The sheep of Christ fight with each other, though their furious pushing one at another is known to presage a change of weather.
Observation 15. Errors, in the tender bud, andfirstspring of them, are comparatively shy and modest, to what they prove afterwards, when they have spread and rooted themselves. intotheminds of multitudes, and think it time to set up and juftlefor themselves in the world *.
They usually begin in modest scruples, conscientious doubts and queries.
But having once gotten many abetters, and, amongst them, some that have fubtility and ability to plead and dispute their cause, they ruffleitout at another rate ; glory in their numbers, piety and ability of their party ; boast and glory in the conceited victories they atchieved over their oppofers. The mask drops off its face, and it appears with abrow of brass, becomes insolent and turbulent, both in church and state.
Of which it is easy to give many pregnant instances, in theArians of old, and more recent errors, which I thall not at present be concerned with, lest I exasperate, whilst I seek to heal the wound.
† Should a man hear the sermons or privatediscourses of era * Eunomius, by advice of Eudoxus, for some time spread his beresy secretly, intricately, and ambiguously; but at length taking courage, he openly avowed in public assemlies what he heretically maintained.
Theodoret, book 3. c. 29.
† The Donatifts, in Augustine's time, modestly moved, Thatmen might
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rorists,whilst thedesignisbut forming and projecting, he should meet with little to raise his jealousy.
They speak in generals, and guard their difcourses with political reserves.
You shall not fee, though you seem to fee the tendency of their discourses. Hence the apostle faith, 2 Pet. ii. 1. παρεισαξεσιν, They
Shall privily [or covertly] bring in damnable herefies : As the boy in Plutarch, being asked by a stranger, What is that you carrysoclofely under your cloak ? wittily answered, You may wellknowthat, I intend you shall not know it by my so carrying it.
Observ. 16. Nothing gives more countenance and increase to error, thana weak andfeebledefence of the truth against it*, The strength of error lies much in the weakness of the advocates and defendants of truth.
Every friend of truth is not fit to make a champion for it.
Many love it, and pray for it, thatcannotdefend and dispute for it.
I can die for the truth (faith the martyr) but I cannot dispute for it.
Zuinglius blamed Carolostadius for undertaking the controverfsy of that age, because (said he) non habuitfatis humerorum, hisshoulderswere too weak for the burthen.
It can be said of few, as Cicero speaks of one, Nullam unquam in difputationibus rem defend it, quam non probarit ; nullum oppugnavit, quem non everterit : i. e. He undertook no cause indisputation, which he could not defend; he opposed no adversary, but could overthrow him.
Here is a rare and happy disputant, whocanclear and carry every point of truth, of which heundertakes the defence.
It were happy for the church, if the abilities and prudence of all her friends were commensurate and equal to their love and zeal.
Every little foil, every weak might not be compelled to live holy.
Coacta et invita pietas, they mentioned it with dislike ; but when grown in power,fact i infolentes orthodoxisinferebant, info much that Dulcitius the tribune was fain to defend the orthodox against them with an army.
* Some not being sufficiently instructed in heavenly knowledge could not answer the opposers of truth, who abjected, that it is a thing either impossible or incongruous thatGodfhould inclose himself withinthewomb of a woman, &c. by all which things,when they had notfufficientcapacityorlearning to defend truth and refute error,(for theyhadnotthoroughinsightintotheimportandreasonofsuchthings) they were misled from the right way, corrupted heavenly knowledge, and composed to themselves anew system of doctrine that had no root or stability, Last an. book 4. chap. 30. concerningHerefies,
A Blow at the Root ; or, or impertinent answer ofa friend to truth, is quickly turned intoaweapon to wound it the deeper.
Obferv. 17. Errors of judgment are not cured by compulsion and external force, but by rational conviction, and proper
Spiritual remedies.
Bodily sufferings rather spread thancureintellectualerrors.
I deny not but fundamental heresies, breaking forth into open blafphemies against God, and feditions in the civil state, ought to be restrained.
It is nowayfitmen shouldbepermittedtogo up and down the world with plague-fores running upon them.
Nor do I understand why men shouldbemore cautious to preserve their bodies than their fouls. But I fpeakhere offuch errors as may consist with the foundations of the Christian faith, and are not destructive of civil government.
They take the readywaytospreadandperpetuatethem,that think to root them out of the worldbyfuch improper and unwarrantable means as external force and violence.
The wind never causes an earthquake, 'till it be pent in, and restrained from motion.
We neither find, norcanimagine, that those church or state Exorcists should ever be able to effect their end, who think to confine all the spirits of error within the circle ofa severe uniformity.
Fires, prisons, pillories, stigmatizings, mutilations, whippings, banishments, &c. are the Popish topics to confute errors.
It is highly remarkable that the world, long ago, consented for the avoidingofdissent in judgment, toenflave themselves and their posterity to the most fatal and destructive heresy that ever itgroaned under.
It is a rational and proper observation, long since made by Lactantius, quis mihi imponat neceffitatem credendi quod nolim, velnon credendi, quod velim? i. e. Who can force me to believe what I will not, or not to believe what I will ? The rational and gentle spirit of the gospel, is the only proper and effectual method to cure the diseases of the mind.
Observ. 18. Erroneous doctrines, producing divisions and fierce contentions amongst Christians, prove afatalstumbling-block to the world, fix their prejudices, and obstruct their conversion to Christ||.
They dissolve the lovely union of the saints, and thereby scare off the world from coming into the church.
This is eviMany enemies to Christianity, fromhatredtothe Christians for their abolishing the Gentile superstition, flocked to the Nicene synod that they might find some whom they might mock.
Say theCen turifts.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
dently implied in that prayer of Christ, John xvii.
That all his people might be one, that the world might believe the Father had sent him.
There is, indeed, no just cause for any to take offence at the Christian reformed religion, because so many errors and heresses spring up among the professors of it, and divide them into so many sects and parties; for, in all this, we findnomorethan what was predicted from the beginning, 1Cor. xi. 18, 19. " I hear there be divisions among you, and I partly
" believe it: for there must be also herefies among you," &c.
And again,Acts xx.30. " Also of your own selves shall men arise, " speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them"*.
The very fame things strongly confirm the Christian religion, which wicked men improve to the reproach and prejudice of it.
When Celfus objected to the Christians the variety and contrarietyof their opinions: saying, Were we willing to turn Christians, we know not of what party to be, feeingyou all pretend to Christ, and yet differ so much from one another.
Tertullian, the Christian Apologist, made him this wife and pertinent reply, " We are not troubled that heresies are come, seeing it was
" predicted that they must come †."
These things destroy not the credibility of the Christian religion, but increase and confirm it, by evidencing to the world the truth and certainty of Christ's predictions (which were quite beyond all human foresight) that as soon as his doctrine should be propagated, and a church raised by it, errors and heresies should spring up among them, for the trial of their faith and constancy.
Nevertheless, this no way excuses the sinfulness of errors and divisions in the church.
Christ's prediction neither infuses, nor excuses the evil predicted by him: for what he elsewhere speaks of scandals, is as true in this case of errors ; " These things
"must come to pass,butwo be tothatmanbywhom they come."
Observ. 19. How specious and taking soever the pretences of error be, and how long soever they maintain themselves in esteem among men, they arefure to end in the loss and shame of their authors and abettors at last ‡.
*Above all things it is proper for us to know that Christ himself and his ambassadors have foretold that many sects and Heresies should arise, which would break the peace of his sacred body, and have ad. monished us to watch with the greatest prudence, lest at anytime we should fall into the nets and snares of that adversary of ours, with whom God requires us to contend.
Lactan. book 4. chap. 30.
+Herefes nondolemus venisse, quia novimus efssepredictas, † Athanafius writes, that after the shameful death ofArius, very many
A Blow at the Root ; or, Truth is a rock that the waves of error dash against, and evermore return in froth and foam: Yea, they foam out their own shame, faith the apostle, Jude 13.
What Tacitus spake of crafty counsels, I may as truly apply to crafty errors : "They
" are pleasant in their beginning, difficult in their manage- " ment, and sad in their event and ifssue *."
Suppose a man have union with Christ, yet his errors are but so much hay, wood, straw, stubble, built, or rather endeavoured tobebuiltupon afoundationofgold; this the fiery trial burns up ; the author of them suffers loss; and though him self may be saved, yet so as by fire, 1 Cor. iii. 12, 13, 14, 15. the meaning is, he makes a narrow escape. As a man that leaps out of an house on fire, from a window or battlement, with great difficulty saves his life ; just so errorists shall be glad to quit their erroneous opinions, which they have taken so much pains to build, and draw others into : and then, oh what a shame must it be for a good man to think, how many days and nights have I worse than wasted to defend and propagate an error, which might have been employed in a closer study of Christ, and mine own heart ! Keckerman relates a story of a vocal statue, which was thirty years a making by a cunning ar tist, which, by the motion of its tongue with little wheels, wires, &c. could articulate the found, and pronounce an entire sentence.
This statue saluting Aquinas, fur prized him, and at one stroke he utterly destroyed the curious machine, which exceedinglytroubledthe fond owner of it, and made him fay, with much concernment, " Thou hast at one stroke de- " stroyed the study and labour of thirty years †."
Beside, what shame and trouble,must it be to the zealous promoters of errors, not only to cast away so vainly and unprofitably their own time and strength, which is bad enough, but also to ensuare and allure the souls of others into the fame, or worse mischief: for though God may save and recover you, those that have been misledbyyou, may perish.
Observ. 20. If ever errors be cured, and the peace and unity of the church established, men must be convinced of, and acquainted with the occasions and causes both within and without themselves, from whence their errors do proceed; many of those who had been deceivedbyhim returned to soundness in the faith.
* Confilia callidaprimaspecielæta, tractatu dura, eventu triftia.
† Keck . Phys. p. 16. Albert us Magnus. Uno ictu opus triginta an no rum deftruxifti.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
and must both know, and apply the proper rules and remedies for the prevention or cure of them.
There is much difference betwixt an occasion, and a proper cause; these two are heedfully to be distinguished.
Critical and exact historians, as Polybius and Tacitus, distinguish betwixt the ἀρχὴ, and the αιτια, the beginning occasions, and the real causes of a war ; and so we ought, in this case of errors, carefully to distinguish them. The most excellent and innocent things in the world, tuch as the Scriptures of truth, the liberty of Christians, the tranquillity and peace of the church (as you willhearanon) may, by the subtilty of Satan working in conjunction with the corruptions of mens hearts, become the occasions, but can never be the proper culpable causes of errors.
Accordingly, having made these twenty remarks upon the nature and growth of errors (which cannot so well be brought within the following rules of method) I shall, in the next place, proceed in thediscoveryboth of the mereoccafion, as also of the proper culpable causes of errors, together with the proper preventives, and most effectual remedies, placed together in the following order.
Divine Per The occasion . The holy God, who is a God of truth, Deut. xxxii. 4. andhateth errors, Rev. ii. 6. theGodoforder,and hates confufionsand mission. schisms in his church, 1 Cor. xiv. 33. is yet pleased to permit errors and herefies to arise, without whose permission they could never spring. And this he doth for the trial of his people's faith and constancy, and for a spiritual punishment upon some men for the abuse of his known truths ; and by the permission of these evils, he advanceth his own glory, and the good of his church and people.
Augustine answers that question, Why doth not God, since he hates errors, sweep them out of the world?
Because (faith he) it is an act of greater power to bring good out of evil, than not to suffer evils to be at all.
Satan's design in errors, is to cloud and darken God's name and precious truths ; to destroy the beauty, strength, and order of the church.
But God's ends in permitting and sending errors, are ( 1. ) To plague and punishmen for their abuse of light, 2 Theff. ii. 11. " For this cause God shall send them strong delusions," &c. (2.) To prove and try the sincerity andconstancyof our hearts, Deut. xiii . 1, 3. 1 Cor. xi. 19 And lastly, By these things the saints are awakened to a more diligent search of the Scriptures, which are the more critically read and examined upon the trial of spirits and doctrines by them,
VOL . IV.
A Blow at the Rost ; or, i John iv. 1. "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits." And Rev. ii. 2. " Thou haft tried them that say they are apostles," c.
The prevention.
Though herefies and errors must (for the reasons assigned)break forth into the world, and God will turn them eventually into his own glory, and the benefit of his church; yet it is a dreadful judgment to be delivered over to a spirit of error, to be the authors and abettors of them. This is a judicial stroke of God, and as ever we hope to escape, and stand clear outoftheway of it, let us carefullyshun these three following causes and provocations thereof.
(1.) Want of love to the truth, which God hath made to shine about us in the means, or into us, by actual illunination, under the means of knowledge. 2Theff. ii. 10, IF . "Because
" they received not the love of the truth, God gave them up " to strong delusions."
They are justly plagued with error, that flight truth . False doctrines are fit plagues for false hearts.
(2.) Beware of pride andwantonness of mind.
' Tis not fo much the weakness as the wantonness of the mind, which provokes God to inflict this judgment.
None likelier to make seducers than boasters, Jude 16.
Arius gloried, that God had revealed some things to him, which were hidden from the apostles themselves.
Simon Magus boasted himself to be the mighty powerofGod.The erroneousPhariseeslovedthe praises of men. When the Papist reproached Luther that he affected to have his disciples called Lutherans, he replied, * " He dis- "dained that the children of Christ should be called by fo vile σε a name as his."
(3.) Beware you neglect not prayer, to be kept found in your judgments, and guided by the Spirit into all truth, Psal. cxix. 10. " With my whole heart have I fought thee: O let me not wander, or err, from thy commandments."
This do, and you are safe from such a judicial tradition.
The first cause.
We shall next speak of the causes of error found in the evil dispositions of the subjects, which prepare and incline them to receive erroneous doctrines and opinions, and even catch at the occasions, and least sparkles of temptation, as dry tinder : and amongst these is found.
(1.) A perverse wranglinghumour at the pretended obfcu ityofthe Scriptures. TheRomish party snatch at this occasion, and make it the proper cause, when, indeed, it is but a picked
* Luther said, not so, O fool, not fo, for Idefire that my name be concealed.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
occasion of the errors and mistakes among men.
They tellus, the Scriptures are so difficult, obscure, and perplexed, that if private men will trust to them as their only guide, they will inevitably run into errors, and their only relief is to give up their souls to the conduct of their church ; whereas, indeed, the true cause of error is not so much in the obscurity of the word, as in the corruption of the mind, I Tim. vi. 5. 2 Tim . iii. 8 .
We do acknowledge there are in the Scriptures, τινα δυσηοντα, και τινα δυσερμενευτα, somethings hard to be understood, 2 Pet. iii. 16. the sublime and mysterious nature of the matter rendering it fo; and some things hard to be interpreted, from the manner of expression; as indeed all mystical parts of Scripture, and prophetical predictions are, and ought to be delivered. The Spirit of God this waydesignedly casts a veil over them, till the proper season of their revelation and accomplishment be come.
Besides (as the learnedGloffius observes) in Paul's style, there are found some peculiar words, and forms of speech, which ordinary rules of grammar take no notice, nor give any parallel examples of: as, to be buried with Christ ; to be baptized into his death; to which I may add, to be circumcised in him, &c.
There are also multitudes of words found in Scripture, of various and vastly different fignifications : and accordingly there is a diversity, and, sometimes, acontrarietyof senses, given of them by expositors ; which, to an humourist, or quarrelsome wit, gives an occasion to vent his errors with a plausible appearance of Scripture-consent. And indeed Tertullian faith,
" The Scriptures are so disposed that heretics may pick occasions; " and those that will not be satisfied maybe hardened.
See Mark iv. 11, 12.
But all this notwithstanding, the great and necessary things to our salvation are so perfpicuouslyand plainly revealed in the Scriptures, that even babes in Christ do apprehend and understand them, Matth. xi. 25. 1 Cor. i. 27, 28, 29.
And though there be difficulties in other points more remote from the foundation; yet the Spirit of God is not to be accused, but rather his wisdom to be admired herein.
For (1.) this serves to exciteourmost intense studyanddiligence, which, by this difficulty, is made necessary, Prov. ii. 3, 4, 5. The very prophets, yea, the very angels search into these things, 1 Pet. i. 11, 12.
* Non periclitor dicere ipfas fcripturas ita difpofitas effe, ut materiamfubminiftarent hæreticis.
Ee 2
A Blow at the Root ; or, (2.) Hereby a standing ministry in the church is made necessary,
Nehem. viii. 8.Eph iv 11, 12, 13. So that to pretend obscurityofScripture to be the culpable cause of error (when, indeed, the fault is in ourselves) this is too much like our fatherAdam, who would implicitely accuse God, to excuse himself; he laid it upon the woman which God gave him,and we upon the Scriptures which God hath given us.
The Remedies .
The proper remedies and preventives in this case, are an heedfulattendance to, and practice of these rules.
Rule I.
Let all obscure and difficult texts of Scripture be constantly examined and expounded according to the analogy or proportion of faith , which is St. Paul's own rule, Rom.xii.6. " Let
" him that prophefieth (i. e. expoundeth the Scriptures in the " church)do it according to the proportion of faith." The analogyorproportionoffaith, iswhatistaught plainly and uniformly in the whole Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as the rule of our faith and obedience.
Whillt we carefully and sincerely attendhereunto, we are secured from sinful corrupting the word of God. Admit of no sense which interferreth with this proportion of faith.
If men have no regard to this, but take liberty to rend off a single text from the body of truth, to which it belongs, and put a peculiar interpretation upon it, which is absonous and discordant to other Scriptures, what woful work will they quickly make ?
Give but aPapist liberty to take that scripture, James ii. 24. out of the frame of scripture, " Amanisjustifiedbyworks, and " and not by faith only ;" and expound it without regard to the tenor of the gospel-doctrine ofjuftification in Paul's epistles to the Romans and Galatians, and a gross error starts up immediately.
Give but a Socinianthe like liberty to practise upon, John xiv. 28. and a gross heresy shall presently look with an orthodox face.
Rule II. Never put anew senseuponwords of scripture, in favour of your pre-conceived notions and opinions, nor wrest it from its general and common use and sense. This is not to interpret, but to rack the scriptures as that word στρεβλεσιν figpifies, 2 Pet. iii. 16. as * Hieron againstRuff speaks. We are not to make the scriptures speak what we think, but what the prophet or apostle thought, whom we interpret. In 1 Cor.
V. 11. 14. we meet with the word [boly] applied to the children * It is the part of an interpreter to explain what the author thought whom he interprets,and not what he himself thinks,
The Causes and Cure ofMentalErrors.
of believers : That word is above five-hundred-times used for a state of separation to God; therefore to make it signify, in that place, nothing but legitimacy, is a bold and daring practising uponthescripture.
Rule III. Whenever you meet with anobfcure place of scripture, let the context of that scripture be diligently and throughly searched ; for it is usualwithGodto setup some light there, to guide us through the obscurity of a particular text. And thereismuchtruth in the observation of the Rabbins *, "There
" is no fcruple or objection in the law, but it hath a solution " at the side of it."
Rule IV. Let one testament freely cast its light upon the other; and let not men undervalue or reject an Old Testament text, as no way useful to clear and establish aNew Testament point of faith or duty.
Each Testament reflects light upon the other.
The Jews reject the New Testament, and many among us finfully flight the Old : but without the help of both, we can never understand the mind of God in either.
'Tis a good rule in the Civil Law, † " We must inspect the whole law, to know " the sense of any particular law."
Rule V. Have a due regard to that sense givenofobscure places of scripture, which hath not only the current sense of learned expofitors, but also naturally agrees with the scope of the place.
A careless neglect and disregard to this, is justly blamed by the apostle, 1 Tim. i. 7.
Cause 2.Afecond evil temper in the subject, disposing and incliningmento receive and fuck in erroneous doctrines and o. pinions, is the abuse of that just and due Christian Liberty ‡ allowed by Christ to all his people, to read, examine, and judge the sense of scriptures with a private judgment of discretion.
This is a glorious acquisition, and blessed fruit of reformation, to vindicate and recover that just right, and gracious grant made to us by Christ and the apostles, out of the injurious hands of our Popish enemies, who had usurped and invaded it.
The exercise of this liberty, is, at once, a duty commanded by Christ, and commended in scripture.
'Tis commanded by Christ, John v. 39. Search thefcriptures, faith Christ to the * Nulla eft objectio in lege, quae non habetfolutionem in latere.
† Turpe est de legejudicare, tota lege nondum inspect a.
‡The Anabaptifts controversy sprung up in the last age in many places in Europe from Montzero a Saxon with his followers in the year 1521. through occasion ofa book wrote by Luther on Christian Liberty.
Fred. Spanh. Elench. Contr.p. 95.
A Blow at the Root; or, people, 1 Cor. x. 15. " I speak as to wise men judge you what
I say."
And the exercile of this private judgment ofdifcretionby the people is highly commended by St. Paul in theBereans , Acts xvii. 11. " These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all read i- " ness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,whether those
" things were so."
This liberty is not allowed in that latitude in any religion, as it is in the Christian religion; nor enjoyed in its fulness, as it is in the reformed religion ; whose glory it is, that it allows its principles and doctrinesto be critically examined and tried of all men, by the rule of the word, as well knowing, the more it is sifted and searched by its professors, the more they will be still confirmed and satisfied in the truth of it.
But yet this gracious and just liberty of Christians suffers a double abuse ; one from the Popish enemies,who injuriously restrain and deny it to the people: Another by Protestants themselves,who finfully Aretch and extend it beyond the just degree and measure in which Christ allows it to them.
The Pope injuriously restrains it,discerning the danger that must necessarily follow the concession of such a liberty to the people, to compare his superstitious and erroneous doctrines with the rule of the word.
St. Peter, in 2 Pet. i. 19.tells the people, they have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto they do well that they take heed.
Certainly the Pope forgot either that he was Peter's successor; or that ever St. Peter told the people they did well to make use of that liberty which he denies them.
Mr. Pool tells us of a Spaniard that used this expression to an English merchant, You people of England (faith he) are happy ; you have libertytofee with your own eyes, and to examine the doctrines deliveredtoyou, upon which your everlasting life depends ; but we darenotfay our souls are our own, but are commanded to believe whatever our teachers tell us, be it neverfounreasonable or ridiculous.
This is a most injurious and sinful restraint,upon it on the one side.
And then secondly, 'Tis too frequently abused, by stretch. ing it beyond Christ's allowance and intendment upon the other side ; when every ignorant and confident person shall, under pretence of liberty granted by Christ, rudely break in upon the sacred text, distort, violate, and abuse the scriptures at pleasure, by putting such strange and foreign senses upon them, as the spirit of God never meant or intended *.
* Prov, viii. 22. Which words Epiphanius writes, gave the first occasion to Arius to form his Heresyagainstthe Son of God,
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
How often have I heard that scripture, Micah iv. 10. "They " shall be brought even to Babylon," confidently interpreted for almost, but notfullhome to Babylon, against the very grammar of the text, and the truth of the history? And so again, that place, Ifa. lviii. 8. " The glory of the Lord shall be thy
" rere-ward," through ignorance of the word, readrere-ward, that is, a double reward to his people? But these are small matters, compared with those grosser abuses of fcriptureby the ignorant and unlearned, which prejudice truth, and too much countenancePopish reproaches.
The Remedies.
Theproperway to prevent and remedy this mischief, is not by depriving anyman of his just liberty, either to read, or judge for himself, what God speaks in his word, and think that way
to cure errors; that were the same thing as to cut off the head, to cure an head-ach.
Leave that sinful policy with the false religion ; let those only that know they do evil, be afraid of coming to the light : But the proper course of preventing the mischiefs that come this way, is by labouring to bound and contain Christians within those limits Christ himself hath fer unto this liberty which he hath granted them. And these are such as follow.
Limitation I. Though Christ hath indulged, to the meanest and weakest Christian, a liberty to read and judge of the scriptures for himself; yet he hath neither thereby, nor therewith granted him a liberty publicly to expoundand preach the word to others : That's quite another thing.
Every man that can read the scriptures, and judge of their sense, is not thereby presently made Christ's commission-officer, publicly and authoritatively to preach and inculcate the fame to others : Two things are requisite to such an employment, viz. Proper qualifications, I Tim. iii. And a solemn call or designation, Rom. x. 14, 15.
The ministry is a distinct office, Acts xx. 17, 28. 1 Theff. v. 12. and none but qualified and ordained persons can authoritatively preach the word, 2 Tim i.
6. 1 Tim. iv. 14. 1 Tim. v. 22 .
Christians may privately edify one another by reading the scriptures, communicating their sense one to another of them, admonishing, counselling, reproving one another in a private, fraternal way, at seasons wherein they interfere not with more public duties : But for every one that hath confidence enough
(and the ignorant usually are best stocked with it) to assume a liberty without due qualification or call to expound and give the sense of scripture, and pour forth his crude andunstudeid
A Blow at the Root ; or, notions, as the pure sense and meaning of God's Spirit in the scriptures; this is what Christ never allowed, and through this flood-gate errors have broken in, and overflowed the church of God, to the great scandal of religion, and confirmation of
Popish enemies.
Limitation. II. Though there be no part of scripture shut up or restrained from the knowledge or use of any Christian, yet Jesus Christ hath recommended to Christians of different abilities, the study of some parts of scripture, rather than others, as more proper and agreeable to their age and stature in religion.
Christians are by the apostle ranked into three classes,fathers, young-men, and little children, 1 John ii. 13. and accordingly the wisdom of Christ has directed to that fort of food which is proper to either : For there is, in the word, all forts of food suitable to all ages in Christ ; there is both milk for babes, and strong meat for grown Christians, Heb. v. 13, 14.
Those that are unskilful in the word of righteousness, should feed upon milk, that is, the easy, plain, but most nutritive and pleasant practical doctrines of the gospel.
But strong meat (faith he) that is, the more abstruse, deep, and mysterious truths, belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discernbothgoodandevil ; that is, truth and error.
To the fame purpose he speaks, 1 Cor. iii. 2.
" I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto yewere not able to bear it.
Art thou a weak unstudiedChristian ? a babe in Christ ? Then the easier, and more nutritive milk of plain gospel doctrine is fitter for thee, and will do thee more good, than the stronger meat of profound and more mysterious points; or the bones of controversy, which are too hard for thee to deal with .
God hath blessed this age with great variety of found and allowed expofitors in our own language, by the diligent study of which, and prayer for the illumination and guidance of the spirit, you may not only attain unto the true sense and meaning of the more plain and obvious ; but alsountogreater knowledge, and clearer insight into the more obscure and controverted parts of scripture.
Gaufe III. There is also another evil disposition in the subject, rendring it easily receptive of errors, and that is spiritual Slothfulnessand carelesness ina due and serious search of the whole scripture, with a sedate and rational consideration of every part and particle therein; which may give us any, tho' the least light,
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
to understand the mind of God in those obscure and difficult points we search after the knowledge of.
Truth lies deep, as the rich veins of gold do, Prov. ii.
If we will get the treasure, we must not only beg, as he directs, ver. 3. but dig also, ver. 4. else, as he speaks, Prov. xiv. 23.
" The talk of the lips tends only to poverty."
We are not to take up with that which lies uppermost, and next at hand upon the surface of the text; but to search with the most sedate and confiderative mind into all parts of the written word, examining every text which hath any respect to the truth we are searching for, heedfully to observe the scope, antecedents, and consequents, and to value every apex, tittle, and iota; for each of these are of divine authority, Mat. v. 18. and sometimes greater weight is laid upon a small word, yea upon the addition or change of a letter in a word, as appears in the names Abram and Sarai.
It will require some strength of mind, and great sedulity, to lay all parts of scripture before us, and to compare words with words, and things with things, as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. ii.
13." Comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
And though it be true that some importantdoctrines, as that of justification by faith, are methodically disposed, and thoroughly cleared and fettledinoneand the fame context ; yet it is as true, that very many other points of faith and duty are not so digested, but are deliveredsparfim, here a little, and there a little, ashe speaks,
Isa. xxviii. 10.
You must not think to find all that belongs to one head or point of faith, or duty, laid together in a system or common place, in scripture ; but scattered abroad in several places, some in the Old Testament, and some in the New, at a great distance from one another.
Now, in our searches and inquiries after the full and satisfying knowledge of the will of God in such points, it is necessary that the whole wordofGodbe throughly searched,and all those parcels brought together to an interview. Ex. Gr.
If a man would see the entire discovery that was made of Christ, to the fathers, under the Old Testament, he shall not find it laid together in anyone prophet; but shall find thatone speaks to one part of it, and another to another.
Moses gives the first general hint of it, Gen. iii. 15. " The " feedofthewoman shall bruise the serpent's head." But then, if you would know more particularly of whose seed, according to the flesh, he should come, you must turn toGen. xxii. 18.
"In thy feed(faith God to Abraham) shall all nations of the VOL. IV.
A Blow at the Root ; or, " earth be blessed." And if you yet doubt what feed God means there, you must go to the apostle, Gal. iii. 16. To thy feed, which is Christ.
If you would further know the place of his nativity, the prophet Micah must inform you of that, Mic. v. 2. it should be Bethlehem Ephrata.
If you enquire of the quality of his parent, another prophet gives you that, Ifa. vii.
14. " Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel."
If the time of his birth be inquired after, Moses and Daniel must inform you of that, Gen. xlix. 10.
Dan. ix. 24.
So under the New Testament, Ifa man inquire about the change of the sabbath, he must not expect to find a formal repeal of the seventh day, and an express institution of the first day in its room; but he is to confider, First, What theEvangelist speaks, Mark ii. 28. That Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, and fohad power, not onlytodifpenfe with it, but to change it.
Secondly, That on the first day of the week Christ rose from the dead, Mat. xxviii. 1, 2. And that this is that great day, foretold tobetheday to be folemnized upon that account, Psal. cxviii.24.
Thirdly, That, accordingly, the first day of the week is emphatically stiled the Lord'sday, Rev. i. 10. where you find his own name written upon it.
Fourthly, You shall find this was the day on which the apoAles and primitive Christians assembled together for the stated and solemn performance of public worship, John xx. 19. and other public church-acts and duties, 1 Cor. xvi. 1 , 2. Andfo by putting together, and considering all these particulars, we draw a just conclusion, That it is the will of God, that since the resurrection of Christ, the firstdayoftheweek should be observed as the Christian-sabbath.
In like manner, as for the baptizingof believers infants; we are not to expect it in the express words of a New Testament institution, or command, that infants, under the gospel, should be baptized; butGodhath left us to gather satisfaction about his will, and our duty, in that point, by comparing and considering the several scriptures of the Old and New Testament whichrelatetothat matter; which, if we be impartial and confiderative, we may do.
First, By considering, that by God's express command,Gen, xvii. 9. 10. the infant-feed of his people were taken into covenant with their parents, and the then sign of that covenant commanded to be applied to them.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
Secondly, That though the sign be altered, the promise and covenant is still the fame, and runs, as it did before, to believers and their children, Acts ii. 38, 39.
Thirdly, That the foederal holiness of our children is plainly asserted under the New Testament, 1 Cor. vii. 14. Rom. xi. 16.
Fourthly, We shall further find, that baptism fuceeds in the room of circumcision; and that, by an argument drawn from the completeness of our privileges under the New Testament, no way inferior, but rather more extensive than those of the
Jews, Col. ii. 10, 11, 12.
Fifthly, We shall find that upon the conversionofanymaster or parent, the whole houshold were baptized.
By putting all these things, with some others, together, we may arrive to the desired satisfaction about the will of God in this matter.
But some men want abilities, and others are too sluggish and lazy to gather together, compare and weigh all these, and many more hints and discoveries of the mind of God, which would give much light unto this point; but they take an easier and cheaper way to fatisfythemselves with what lies upper-most up. on the furfaceofscripture, and so, as it were by consent, let go, and lose their own, and their childrens blessed and invaluable privileges, for want ofa little labourandpatience to search the scriptures : A folly which few would be guilty of, if but a small earthly inheritancewereconcernedtherein,
The Remedies.
To cure this spiritual fluggishness, and awaken us to the most serious and diligent search after the will of God in such controversial and doubtful points, that we may not neglect the smallest hintgivenus about it,the following considerations will be found of great use and weight.
Confider. 1. The most sedate,impartial, and diligent inquiries after thewillofGod revealed in his word, is a duty exprefly enjoinedby his sovereign command, which immediately, and indispensiblybinds the conscience of every Christian to the practice of it.
Remarkable is that text to this purpose, Rom. xii . 2. "And " be not conformed to this world; butbeye transformed by the " renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
" and acceptable, and perfect will of God."
Here you find this duty, not only associated with, but made the very end of our non-conformity to the world, and renovation of our minds, the very things which constitute a Christian.
Ff2
A Blow at the Root ; or, And to sweeten our pains in this work, that will of God, for the discovery whereof we search, is presented to us under three illustrious and alluring properties ; viz.good, acceptable, and perfect.
Good it must needs be,because the will and essence of God, the chief good, are not two things, but one and the fame. And perfect it must needs be,because it is the beam and standard by which the actions of all reasonable creatures ought to be weighed and tried, as to the moral good or evil of them. Andbeingboth good and perfect,how can itchusebut, upon both accounts,be highly acceptable and grateful to an upright foul,as thatepithet ἐνάρετον, there imports.
Searchthescrip tures, faith Christ, John v. 39. To the law, and to the testimony, faith the prophet, Ifa. viii. 20.
This is not matter of mere Christian liberty, but commanded duty; and at our peril be it, if we neglect it.
Confider. 2. No act of ours can be good and acceptable to the Lord, further than it is agreeable to his will revealed in the word.
No man can be a rule to himself.
He can be no more his own rule than his own end.
One man cannot be a rule to another. The best of men, and their actions, and examples, are only so far a rule of imitation to us, as they themselves are ruled by the divine revealed will, 1 Cor. xi. 1. uncommanded acts of worship are abominable to God, and highly dangerous to ourselves ; they kindle the fire of his jealousy, to the ruin and destruction of the presumptuous sinner, Lev. x. 1, 2. So that if the beauty, and excellency of the will of God be not enough to allure us, the danger of acting, without the knowledge of it, may justly terrify us.
Confider. 3. In this duty we tread in the footsteps of the wisest, and holiest men that ever went to heaven before us.
It is not only the characteristical note of a good man, Psal. i. 2. but it has been the constant practice of the most eminent believers in all ages.
The greatest prophets,who had this advantage of us, that they were the organs, or inspired instruments of discovering the will of God to others, yet were not excused from, neither did they neglect to search it diligently themselves , 1 Pet. i. 10, 11.
Daniel, that great favourite of heaven, who had the visions and revelations of God; yet he himself diligently searched the written word, in order to the discovery of the mind of God, Dan. ix. 2.
Confider. 4. Every discovery of the will of God, by fervent prayer, diligent, and impartial search of the Scriptures, and all
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
other allowed helps, gives the highestpleasurethe mind of man is capable of in this world.
If Archimedes, upon the discovery of a mathematical truth, was so transported, and ravished,that he cried out, ευρηκα, ευρηκα,
I have found it, I have found it ; what pleasure then must the investigation and discovery of a divine truth give to a sanctified foul! " Thy words were found of me (faith Jeremiah) and I " did eat them ; andthyword was unto me the joy and rejoicing
" of my heart," Jer. xv. 16. as pleasant food to a famished man; for now conscience is quieted, comforted and cheered, in the way of duty. A man walks not at adventure with God, as that word signifies, Lev. xxvi. 40, 41. but hath the pleasant directive light of the word and will of God, shining sweetly upon the path of his duty.
Confider. 5. By this means you shall find your faith greatly confirmed in the truth of the Scriptures.
The sweet consent and beautifulharmonyof all the parts of the written word, is a great argument of its divinity; and this you will clearly discern, when, by a due search, you shall find things that ly at the remotest distance, to conspire and consent in one, and one part casting light, as well as adding strength, to another.
Thus you shall find, Vet us teftamentum in novo revelatum, et novum in vetere velatum ; the New Testament vailed in the Old, and the Old revealed in the New : and that fucha consentofthings, sodistantintime and place, can never bethe project and invention of man.
Confider. 6.
The diligent and impartial search and inquiry after the will of God, out of no other design than to please him in the whole course of our duties, will turn to us for a teftimonyof the integrity and sincerity of our hearts.
Thy word (said David) have I hid in my heart, that I might notfin against thee.
And God will not hide his will from those that thus seek to know it.
If men would apply themselves to search the word by frequent prayer, and fixedmeditations,upon so pure a design, not bringing their prejudiced or prepossessed minds unto it; the spirit of the Lord would guide them into all truth, and keep them out of dangerous and destructive errors,
Cause4. Besides the slothfulness of the mind, there is found in many persons another evil disposition preparing them easily to receive erroneous impressions ; namely, the INSTABILITY, and fickleness of the judgment, and unfettledness of mind about the truth of the gospel.
Of this the apostle warns us, Eph. iv. 14. " That we hence
A Blow at the Root ; or, " forth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
" about with every wind of doctrine, by the flight of men, " and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive."
None are so constant, and steady in the profession of the truth, as those that are fully convinced of, and well satisfied with the grounds of it.
Every professor, like every ship at sea, should have an διονυσήριγμον, a ballast and steadiness of his own, 2 Pet, iii. 17. ready, and prepared to render a reason of the hope that is in him, I Pet. iii. 15. able, upon all occasions, to give an account of those inward motives which constrained his affent to the truth.
He that professeth a truth ignorantly, cannot be rationally supposed to adhere to it constantly. He that is but half convinced of a truth, when he engages in the profession of it, mutt needs be διψυχος άνηρ, a double-minded man, as the apostle calls him, Jam. i. 8. half the mind hangs one way, and half another, and so it is easily moveable this way or that, with the least breath of temptation. And hence it comes to pass they are so often at a loss about their duty, and their practice ; for,
Animi volutatio pendentem reddit vitam ; i. e. a doubtful mind must needs make a staggering and uncertain practice.
Erroneous teachers are called wandering stars, Jude 13.which keep no certain course, as the fixed stars do, but are sometimes nearer, and sometimes remoter one from another. Thus errorists first imbibe unsettled opinions, and then discover them in their inconstant practices.
Bertius wrote a book, de Apostasia Sanctorum, and soon after turnedPapist.
The Socinians, and Libertines teach, that a man of any persuasion, in religion, may be saved, fo that he walk not contrary to his own light : such doctrine directly tends to Scepticism in religion.
And this instability of the judgment proceeds either from hypocrisy or weakness.
Sometimes from hypocrisy : All hypocrites are double-minded men.
Jam. iv. 8.
The double- " minded man (that is, the hypocrite) is unstable in all his
" ways: " one of that number was not ashamed to say, Seduas habere animas in eodem corpore, unamDeo dicatam, alter am unicuique qui ill am vellet : i. e. That he had two fouls inonebody, one for God, and another for whosoever would have it.
Sometimes instability of the mind is the effect only of weakness in the judgment, proceeding merely from want of age, and growth in Christ, not having as yet attained senses exercised todifcernboth good and evil, Heb. v. 14. they are but children in Christ, and children are easy andcredulous creatures, Eph. iv.
14. prefentlytaken with a new toy, and as soon weary of it;
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
fuchawavering, and unstable temper, invites temptation, and falls an easy prey into its hands.
Iconfefs some cases may happen, where thepretences on both fides maybe so fair, as to put a judicious Christian to a stand what to chuse ; but then their deliberation will be answerable, and then they will not change their opinions every month, as Sceptics do.
Wherever error finds such amutabledisposition, its work is half done before it makes one assault. How many waveringprofeffors, at this day, lie in temptation's way? and how great a harvest have Errorists and Heretics had among them? There's not amountebank comes upon the stage, but he shall find ten times more customers for his drugs, than the most learned and experienced physician.
The giddy-headed multitude have more regard to novelty than truth.
The remedies .
How necessary and desirable are some effectual rules and remedies in this case ! O what a mercy would it be to the professors of these days, to have their minds fixed, and theirjudgmentfettled in the truths of Christ ? Happy is that man whole judgment is so guarded, that no dangerous error, or heresy, can commit a rape upon it. To this end I shall here commend the four following rules, to prevent this vertiginous malady in the heads of Christians.
Rule 1. Look warily to it, that you get a real inward implantation into Christ, and lay the foundation deep, and firm, in a due and serious deliberation of religion, whenever you engage in the public profession of it.
To this sense are the apostle's words, Col. ii. 6, 7. "As you " have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in
him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught."
Fertility, and stability in Christ, a pair of inestimable blessings, depend upon a good rooting of the soul in him at first.
He that thrusts a dead stick into the ground, may easily pull it up again, but fohe cannot do by a well rooted tree. Acolour railed by violent action, or a great
" fire, soon dies away; but that which is natural, or constitutional, will hold: every thing is as its foundation is; it was want of a good root, and due depth of earth, which foonturned the green corn into dry stubble, Mat. xiii. 21.
Rule 2. Labour after an inward, experimental taste of all those truths which you profess .
This will preserve your minds from wavering and hesitation about the certainty and reality of them.
We will not easily part with those truths, which have sensibly shed down
J A Blow at the Root ; or, those sweet influences upon our hearts, Heb. x. 34. No fophifter can easily persuade a man that hath tasted the sweetness of honey, that it is a bitter and unpleasantthing; Non eft difputandum de gustu : You cannot easily persuade am an out of his senses.
Rule 3. Study hard, and pray earnesily for satisfaction in the present truths, 2 Pet. i. 12. " That you may be established
" εν τη παρᾶση ἀληθεια, in the truth that now is under opposition, and controversy."
Be not ignorant of the truths that lie in present hazard .
Antiquated opinions, that are more abstracted from our present interest, are no trials of the soundness of our judgments, and integrity of our hearts, as the controverfies and conflicts of the present times are.
Every truth hath its time to come upon the stage, and enter the lifts ; some in one age, and some in another ; but Providence seems to have cast the lot of your nativity for the honour anddefence of those truths with which error is struggling, and conflicting in your times.
Rule 4. Lastly, Be thoroughly sensible of the benefit and good of establishment, and of the evil and danger of a wavering mind, and judgment.
"" Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines, (faith the apostle,) for it is a good thing that the heart be
" established," &c. Heb. xiii. 9.
Established fouls are the honour of truth.
It was the honour of religion, in the primitive days, that when the Heathens would proverbially express an impossibility, they used to say, You may as foonturn a Christian from Christ, as do it.
The fickleness of professors is a stumbling-block to the world.
They'll fay, as Cato of the civil wars betwixt Caesar and Pompey, Quem fugiam video, quemfequar non video : they know whom to avoid, but not whom to follow. And as the honour of truth, so the flourishing of your own souls depend upon it.
A tree, often removed from one foil to another, can never be expected to be fruitful; it is well if it makes a shift to live.
Cause 5. Another inward cause, disposing men to receive erroneous impressions, is an unreasonable eagerness to snatch at any doctrine or opinion, that promiseth ease to an anxious conscience.
Men that are under the frights and terrors of conscience, are willing to listen to anything that offers present relief. Of all the troubles in the world, those of the mind and conscience are most intolerable and those that are in pain, are glad of ease and readily catch, at anything that seems to offer it.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
This seems to be the thing which led those poor distressed wretches, intimated Micah vi. 6. into their gross mistakes and errors, about the method of the remission of their sins.
" Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself " before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt66 offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleas- " ed with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand of rivers of *" oil ? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit
" of my body for the fin of my foul ?"
They were ready to purchase inward peace, and buy out their pardon at any rate.
Nothing but the twingesof conscience could have extorted these things from them. Great is the efficacy and torment ofa guilty conscience.
Satan, who feels more of this inhimselfthanany other creature in the world, and knows how ready poor ignorant, but distressed sinners, are to catch at any thing that looks like ease, or comfort, and being jealous what these troubles of conscience may issue into, prepares for them such erroneous doctrines, and opinions, under the names of anodines, and quieting recipe's, by swallowing of which they feel some present ease; but their disease is thereby made fomuch the more incurable.
* It is upon this account he hath found such vent in the world for his penances, pilgrimages, and indulgences among the Papists.
But seeing this ware will notgo off among the reformed, and more enlightened professors of Christianity, he changeth his hand, and fitteth other doses under other names, to quiet sick and distressed souls, before ever their frights of conscience come to fettle into true repentance and faith, in the blood of Christ, by dressing up, and presenting to them such opinions as these, viz.
That they may boldly apply to themselves all the promises of pardon and peace, without any respect at all to repentance or faith in themselves ; that it is not at all needful, nay, that it is illegal and sinful to have any respect to these things, forasmuch as their fins were pardoned, and they justified from eternity; and that the covenant of grace is in all respects absolute, and is made to sinners, as sinners, without any regard to their faith or
*Mr. Gataker, in his book against Saltmarsh, p. 27. tells us of one that had taken ill courses, and being under much trouble of mind, could not be quiet till he turned Papist, and had been shrieved and absolved by a priest.
VOL . IV.
A Blow at the Root ; or, repentance; and whatever fins there be in them, God sees them not §.
To such a charm of troubles as this, how earnestly doth the ear of a distressed conscience listen ? howgreedily doth it fuck in such pleasing words ? Are all fins that are pardoned, pardoned before they are committed ? and, Does the covenant of grace require neither repentance nor faith antecedently to the applicationofthepromises ? How groundless then are all my fears and troubles ? This, like a dose of opium, quiets, or rather stupifies the raging conscience; for, even an error in judgment, till it be detected and discovered to be so, quiets and comforts the heart, as well as principles of truth; but, whenever the fallacy shall be detected, whether here or hereafter, the anguish of conscience must be increased, or(which is worse) left desperate.
The remedies.
To prevent and cure this mistake and error in the soul, by which it is fitted and prepared to catch any erroneous principle
(which is but plausible) for its present relief and ease, I shalldefire my reader seriously to ponder and confider the following queriesuponthis case.
Query 1. Whether, by the vote of the whole rational world, a good trouble be not better than a false peace ? Present ease is desirable, but eternal safety is much more fo: and, if these twocannotconsist under the present circumstances of the soul,
Whether it be not better to endure for a time those painful pangs, than feel more acute and eternal ones, by quieting conscience with false remedies before the time?
It is bad to ly tossing a few days under a laborious fever; but far worse to have that fever turned into a lethargy, or fatal apoplexy.
Erroneous principles mayridthe foul of its present pain, and eternal hopes and safety together. Acute pains are better than a senseless stupidity.
Though the present rage of conscience be not a right and kindly conviction, yet it may lead to it, and terminate in faith and union with Christ at last; if Sat an do not this way practise upon it, and quench it before its time.
Query 2. Bethink yourselves seriously, whether troubles fo quieted and laid asleep, will not revive and turn again upon theewithadouble force, as soon as the virtue of the drug (I mean the erroneous principle) hath spent itself?
§ Saltmarsh, in the title page of his book called Free-grace, shews you the sovereign virtue of Antinomian principles, to quiet troubles of conscience of twelve years growth.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
The efficacy of truth is eternal, and will maintain the peace it gives for ever; but all delusions must vanith, and the troubles which they dammed up for a time, break outwith a greater force.
Satan employs two forts of witches, some to torment the bodies of men with grievous pain and anguish : but then he hath his white witches at hand, to relieve and ease them.
And, have these poor wretches any great cause, think you, to boast of the cure, who are eased of their pains at the price of their souls ?
Much like unto this, are the cures of inward troubles by erroneous principles.
I lament the case of blinded Papists, who by pilgrimages, and offerings to the shrines of titular faints, attempt the cure of a lesser sin by committing a greater : is it because there is not a God in Israel, who is able indue season to pacify confciencewith proper and durable gospel-remedies, that we fufferour troubles thus to precipitate us into the snares of Satan, for the sake of present ease ?
Query 3. Read the Scriptures, and enquire, Whether God's people, who have lain long under sharp inward terrors, have not, at last, found settlement and inward peace by those very methods which the principles that quiet you do utterly exclude?
If you will fetch your peace from a groundless notion, that your fins were pardoned, and your persons justified from all eternity, and therefore you may apply boldly and confidently toy ourselves thechoicest promises and privileges in the gospel, without any regard to faith or repentance wrought by the Spirit in your souls.
I am sure holy David took another course for the settlement of his conscience, Psal. li. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
And it hath been the constant practice of the faints, in ali ages, to clear their title to the righteousness of Christ,wrought without them, by the works of his Spirit wrought within them .
Cause6. The next evil temper in the subject, preparing and disposing it for error, is an easy CREDULITY, or fequacious humour in men,rendering them apt to receive things upon trust from others, without due and thorough examination of the grounds and reasons of them themselves..
This is a disposition fitted to receive any impression seducersplease to make upon them; they are said to deceive the hearts of the simple, ἀκακων, i. e. credulous, but well meaning people that suspect no harm.
It is said, Prov. xίν. 15. "The simple believeth every word." Through this sluice, or floodgate, what a multitude of errors in Popery have overflowed
Gg 2
A Blow at the Root ; or, the people ! They are told, they are not able to judge for them selves, but must take the matters of their salvation upon trust from their spiritual guides; and so the filly people are easily. seduced, and made easily receptive of the grossest absurdities their ignorant leaders please to impose upon them.
And it were to be wished, that those two points, viz. Miniftrorum muta officia, etpopuli caca obfequia, the dumb services of their ministers, and the blind obedience of the people had staid within the Popish confines.
But, alas, alas ! how many simple Protestants be there, who may be said to carry their brains in other mens heads ; and, like filly sheep, follow the next in the track before them; especially if their leaders have butwit and art enough to hide their errors under specions and plausible pretences. How many poisonous drugs hath Satan put off under the gilded titles of antiquity, zealforGod, higher attainments in godliness, new lights, &c. ? How natural is it for men to follow in the track, and be tenacious of the prine ciples and practices of their progenitors ? Multitudes seem to hold their opinionsjurehareditario, by an hereditary right, as if their faith descended to them the same way their estates do.
The emperor of Morocco told king John's ambassador, that he had lately read St. Paul's epistles; and truly, (said he)were I now to chuse my religion, I would embrace Christianity
• before any religion in the world; but every man ought to • die in that religion he received from his ancestors.
Many honest, well-meaning, but weak Christians, are also easily beguiled by specious pretences of new light, and higher attainments in reformation.
This makes the weaker fort of Christians pliable to many dangerous errors, cunningly insinuated under such taking titles. What are most of the erroneous opinions now vogued in the world, but old errors, under new names and titles ?
The remedies.
The remedies and preventions in this case, are such as follow :
Remedy 1. It is beneath am an to profess any opinion to be his own, whilst the grounds and reasons of it are in other mens keeping, and wholly unknown to himself.
If am an may tell gold after his father, then sure he may, and ought to try and examine doctrines and points of faith after him. We are commanded to be ready to give an account of the hope that is in us, and not to fay, This or that is my judgment or opinion, but let others give an account of the ground and reason of it.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
Iconfefs, if he that leads me into an error were alone exposed to the hazard, and I quit and free, whatever become of him, it were quite another thing: but when our Saviour tells us
Matth. xv. 14. that both (that is, the follower as well as the leader) fall into the ditch; at my peril be it, ifI follow without eyes of my own : that's but a weak building that is shored up bya prop from a neighbour's wall. How manymen have ruined their their estates by furetiship for others ? but of all furetiship, none so dangerous as spiritual furetiship.
•We neither ought (as a late Worthy speaks) to defy the judgment of the weak- ' est, nor yet, on the other side, to deify the judgment of the : strongest Christian :' He that pins his faith upon anotherman's sleeve, knows not whither he will carry it.
Remedy 2. As you ought not to abuse your Christian privilege and liberty, to try all things,
I Theff. v. 21. so neither on the other side to undervalue or part with it.
See the things that so much concern your eternal peace with your own eyes.
I shewed you before, this liberty is abused by extending it too far; and under the notion of proving all things, many emboldenthemselves to innovate and entertain any thing: yet, beware of bartering such a precious privilege for the fairest promises others can make in lieu of it.
I would not flight, nor undervalue the piety and learning of others, nor yet put out my own eyes to see by theirs.
Remedy 3. Before you adventure to espouse the opinions of others, diligently observe and mark the fruits and consequences of those opinions in the lives of the zealous abettors and propagators of them: By their fruits (faith Christ) yes hall know them .
When the opinion or doctrine naturally tends to looseness, or when it fucks and draws away all a man's zeal, to maintain and diffuse it, and practical religion thereby visibly languishes in their conversations; it is time for you to make a pause, before you advance one step farther towards it.
Cause 7. The next evil disposition that I shall note in the subject, is a vain CURIOSITY of mind, or an itchingdefire to pry into things unrevealed; at least, above our ability to search out and discover .
It is an observation, as true as antient, Pruritus auriumfeabies ecclefiae, itching cars come to a scab upon the face of the church.
The itch of novelty produceth the scab of error, this disease the apostle warns us, 2 Tim. iv. 3. " For the time
Of " will come, when they will not endure found Doctrine ; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
A Blow at the Root; or, " having itching ears."
Nothing will please them but new
notions, and new modes of language, and method, tone, and gesture.
Sound doctrine is the only substantial and solid food that nourishes and strengthens the heart of the new creature; but vainScepticsnauseateanddespisethisastrite, vulgar, cheap, and low.
Nothing humours them but novelties and rarities; their unsettled brains must be wheeled about,διδαχαις ποίκιλαις και ξέναις, with diverse and strange doctrines, Heb. xiii. 9.
Novelty and variety are the only properties that commend doctrines to wanton palates : Hence it is they so boldly intrude into things they have not seen, Col. ii. 18.
These Cyril fitly calls τῶν τολμηρον κυριοτητα, thedomineerings, or darings of bold spirits.
The schoolmen have filled the world with a thousand ungrounded fancies, as the distinct offices and orders of angels ; and higher flights of fancy than these, which seem to be invented for no other end or use, but to please the itching ears of the curious.
There is not only avefana temeritas Genethliacorum, a wild and daring rasiness of astrologers, presuming to foretel futurities, and the fates of kingdoms, as well as particular persons, from the conjunctions and influences of the stars; but there is also found as high a presumption and boldness among men in matters of religion.
Satan is well aware of this humour in men, andhowexceedingserviceable it is to his design; and therefore,having the very knack of clawing andpleasingitchingears, with taking novelties, he is never wanting to feed their minds with a pleasing variety, and fresh succession of them; new opinions are still invented, and minted, in which the dangerous hooks of error are hid : ifmenwere once cured of this spiritual itch, and their minds reduced to that temper and sobriety, as to be pleased with, and biess God for the plain revealed truths of the gospel, Satan would drive but a poor trade, and find but, few customers for his erroneous novelties.
The Remedies.
The proper remedies to cure this itch after novelty, or dangerous curiosity of the mind, are,
Remedy 1. Due reflection upon the manifoldmischiefs that have entered into the world this way.
It was this curiosity, and desire to know, that overthrew our first parents, Gen. iii. 6. " When the woman saw that the tree
" was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and a " tree to be desired to make one wife; the took of the fruit
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
" thereof."
The very fame way by which he let in the first error, he hath let thousands into the world since that day. Nothing is more common in the world, than for an old error to obtain afresh under the name of new light.
Satan hath the very art of turning stale errors after the mode of the present times, and make them current and passable as new discoveries, and rare novelties.
Thus he puts offLibertinism, the old fin of the world, under the title of Christian Liberty.
What a troop of Pagan idolatrous rites were by this means introduced among the Papifts ? A great part of popery is but Ethnicismus redivivus,
Heathenism revived. The Pagans Pontifex maximus, was revived under the new title of Pope.
The Gentiles Lust rations in thePopish holy water.
Their novendialefacrum, or sacrifice nine days after the burial of the party, in the Popish Masses for the dead.
Their Alvarium Frat rum, in cloisters of Monks and Friars; their Enchanters, in Popish Exorcists ? their Asyla, in Popish Sanctuaries; with multitudes more of Paganrites, quite out of date in Christendom, introduced again under new names in l'opery; as was intimated, Rev. xi. 2. andRev. xiii. 15.
Remedy 2. Be satisfied that God hath not left his people to seek their salvation, or spiritual subsistance among curious, abstruse, anddoubtfulnotions; but in the great, solid, and plainly revealed truths of the gospel *, John xvii 3. "This is life eter- " nal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus
" Christ whom thou hast sent."
Infacili et abfolutoftat aternitas : the great concerns ofourfalvation, are plain and easy to be understood.
Remedy 3. Vain curiosity is a dangerous snare of Satan:
By such trifles as these, he devours our time, eats up our strength, and diverts our minds from the necessary and most importantbusinessofreligion.
Whilst we immerse our thoughts in these pleasing, but barrencontemplations, heart-work, closet work, family-work, lie by neglected.
Whilst we are employed in garnishing the dish with flowers, and curious figures, the cunning cheat takes away the meat our souls should fubfift by.
Cause. 8. Pride and arrogancy of human reason is another evil disposition, moulding and preparing the mind for errors.
* What we may be ignorant of without a fault, we should not pry into with danger.
A Blow at the Roet ; or, Whenmen are once conceited of the strength and perspicacity of their own carnal reasons and apprehensions, nothing is more usual than for such men to run mad, with reason, intoathoufandmistakes and errors.
To this cause Ecclesiastical Historians ascribe the errors that infest the church *.
Reason, indeed, is the highest natural excellency of man ; it exalts him above all earthly creatures, and, in its primitive perfection, almost equalized him with angels, Heb. ii. 7.
The pleasures which result from its exercises and experiments, transcend all the delights and pleasures of sense.
How common is it for men todote upon their own intellectual beauty, and glory in their victories over weaker understandings ? And though the reason of fallen men is greatly wounded and weakened by fin; yet it conceits itself to be as strong and clear as ever ; and with Sampson when his locks were thorn, goes forth as before time; being neither sensible of its own weakness, or of the mysterious and unsearchable depths of scripture.
Reason is our arbiter, and guide,by the institution and law of nature, in civil and natural affairs : 'Tis the beam, and standard, at which we weigh them : It is an home born judge, and king in the soul : Faith comes in as a stranger to nature, and so it is dealt with, even as an intruder into reason's province, just as the Sodomitesdealt with Lot : It refuseth to be an underling to faith. Out of this arrogancy of carnal reason, as from Pandora's Box, swarms of errors are flown abroad into the world.
By this means Socinianism first started, and hath sincepropagated itself.
They look upon it as a ridiculous, and unaccountablething to reason, that the Son should be co-equal, and co-eternal with the Father : That God should forgive fins freely, and yet forgive none but upon full satisfaction.
That Christ should make that satisfaction by his sufferings, and yet bepars laefa, the party offended, and so make satisfaction to himself; with many more of the like stamp.
Yea Atheism, as well as Socinianism, are births from this * Philosophy or the wisdom of human reason, which always hath done very much hurt to religion, hath produced of itself not a few
Heresies; for at that time philofopical studies chiefly flourished; and men by their ownfubtilities,or (as they thought) demonstrations were so confirmed in their opinions, thattheythought nothing true which differed from their preconceived opinions.
Magdeb in. Cent.
2. cap. 5.p. 56.
The Gauses and Cure of Mental Errors.
womb.
'Tis proud and carnal reason, which quarrels at the creation of the world, and seems to triumph in its uncontroulable maxim, Ex nihilo, nihilfit ; Out of nothing, comes nothing.
It looks upon the doctrine of the resurrection with aderiding smile, as a thing incredible.
It thinks it hard, and harsh, that God should command men to turn themselves to him, and threaten them with damnation, incase of refusal; and yet, at the same time, man should not have in himself a sufficient power, and a free will to do this, without the supernatural, and preventing grace of God.
It thinks it a ridiculous thing for such a great and solemn ordinance of God as baptism is, to pass upon suchasubject as an infant of a week old, which is not capable to understand the ends and uses of it.
Hence it is some over-heated zealots have not stuck to say, That we have as good warrant, and reason to baptize cats, dogs, and horses, as wehavetobaptize infants *.
Oh the madness of carnal reason !
The remedies.
To take down the arrogance, and prevent the mischief of carnal reasonings, let us be convinced, Remedy 1. That it is the will of God, that reason in all believers, should resign to faith, and all ratiocination submit to revelation.
Reason is no better than an usurper, when itprefumes to arbitrate matters belonging to faith and revelation.
Reason's proper place is to fit at the feet of faith, and instead of searching the secret grounds and reasons, to adore and admire the great and unsearchable mysteries of the gospel. None of God's works are unreasonable, but many of them are above reason. It was as truly, as ingenioufly said by one; Never doth reason shew itself more reasonable, than when it ceaseth to reason about things that are above reason. " Where is the wife ? Where is
" the Scribe ? Where is the disputer of this world ? Hath not " God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? For after that in " the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God ;
" it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them " that believe," 1 Cor. i. 20, 21. 'Tis not reason, but faith that must save us .
* Mr. Samuel Clerk'sGolden Apples. p. 149.
|| Man having finnedby pride, the wisdom of God humbles him at the very root of the tree of knowledge, and makes him deny his own understanding, and submit to faith; or else for ever to lose his desired felicity.
Laud. against Fisher. p. 5.
VOL. IV.
A Blow at the Root ; or, The wisdom of God in the gospel, is wisdom in amyttery, evenhiddenwisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory,
Cor. ii. 7.
Such wisdom, as the most eagleeyed Rationalists, and famed Philosophers of the world understood not.
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have " entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
" prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed :
" them to us by his Spirit," i bid. ver. 9, 10.
Remedy 2. Be convinced of the weakness and deep corruption of natural reason; and this will restrain its arrogance, and make it modest and wary.
A convinced and renewed foul, is conscious to itself of its own weakness and blindness ; and therefore dares not pry audaciously into the arcana caeli, norfummon the great God to its bar: It finds itself posed by the mysteries of nature, and therefore concludes itself an incompetent judge of the mysteries of faith.
The arrogancy of reason, is the reigning fin of the unregenerate; though it be a disease with which the regenerate themselves are infected.
When conviction shall do its work upon the soul, the plumes of spiritual pride quickly fall; and it faith with Job, " Once have I spoken, but I will speak no more; yea,
" twice, but I will proceed no further," q. d. I have done, father, I have done ; " I have uttered things that I understand
" not," Job xlii. 3.
Spiritual illumination cures this ambition.
Remedy 3. Confider the manifold mischiefs and evils flowing from the pride of reason .
It doth not only fill the world with errors and distractions, but it also invades the rights of heaven, and casts a vile reflection upon the wisdom, sovereignty, and veracity of God. It lifts up itself against his wisdom, not considering that " the " foolishness of God is wiser than men," I Cor. i. 25.
It spurns at his glorious sovereignty, not considering that " he givethno account of his matters," Job xxxiii. 13.
Itqueons his veracity, in saying with Nicodemus, "How can these
" things be ?" John iii.9.
Cause 9. The last evil disposition I shall here take notice of in the subject, is rash and ignorant zeal; a temper preparing the mind both to propagate furiously, and receive easily, erroneous doctrines and opinions.
When there is in the soul more heat than light, when a fer. vent spirit is governed by a weak head; such a temper of spirit
Satandefires and singles out as fittest for his purpose, especially when the heart is graceless, as well as the understanding
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
weak. A blind horse, of an high mettle, will carry the rider into any pit, and venture over the most dangerous precipices.
Such were the superstitious Jewish Zealots ; they had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. This κακοζηλια, blind zeal, St Paul charges jusily upon the Jewish Bigots,
Rom. x. 2. as the proper cause of their dangerous errors about the great point of justification; and surely no man understood the evil of it more than he, who in his unregenerate state, was transported by it to the most furious persecution of the saints,
Acts xxvi. 11. and even todotage, and extream fondness upon the erroneous traditions of his fathers, Gal. i. 14.
Blind zeal is a sword in a mad-man'shand. Noperfecutor to ☐a conscientious one, whose erroneous conscience offers up the blood of the faints to the gloryofGod, Johnxvi . 2. The blind, but zealous Pharisees would compass sea and land to make one proselyte, Matth. xxiii. 15. as our modern Pharifees, the Jefuifts, have since done, who have mingled themselves with the remotest and most barbarous nations, to draw them to the Romish errors.
Of the fame temper was the false teachers taxed by the apostle, Gal. iv. 17. they zealoufly affect you, but not well ; yea, they would exclude you (viz. from our society and ordinances) that you might affect them.
And as it is the great instrument by which Satan propagates errors, so it makes a fit temper in the souls of the people to receive them: For, by this means error gains the possession of the affections, without passing a previous and due test by the understanding, and fogains the foul by the advantage of a fur prize. Every thing, by how much the more weak and ignoble it is, by fo much the more it watcheth upon furpritals and advantages.
Error cares not to endure the due examination, and test of reason; and therefore seeks to gain by surprisal, what it despairs of ever gaining by a plain and fair trial.
There be few Errorists in the world of Alexander's mind,who would rather lose the day, thanfteal the victory. Hence it comes to pass, that the greatest number of those they lead captives, are filly women, as the apostle speaks, who are the most affectionate,but least judicious, sex.
From this blind zeal it is, that they cunningly wind their erroneous opinions into all their difcourtes, where they have any hope to prevail. A rational and modest contradiction puts them into aflame, it breaks the nearest bonds of friendship and society.
Rabshekah in 2Kings xviii. would not treat with Hezekiah's Hh2
A Blow at the Root ; or, counsellors of state, but with the commonpeopleuponthe wall =
And error cares not to treat with found reason, able to fiftit through the scripture-search, but with the affections ; as well knowing, it is in vain to make war in reason's territories without first gaining a party among the affections.
The remedies.
The best defenfatives against erroneous contagions, in this case, are to be found in the following particulars.
First Defenfative. Reflect seriously and sadly upon the manifold mischiets occasioned every where, and in all ages of the world, by rash zeal .
Revolve church-histories and you shall find, that fcarceany cruel persecution hath flamed in the world, which hath not been kindled by blind zeal.
Turn over all the records, both of Pagan and Popish persecutions, and you shall still find these two observations confirmed and verified.
First, That ignorant zeal hath kindled the fires of persecution; and, Secondly, That the more zealous any have been for the ways of error and falshood, still the more implacably fierce and cruel they have been to the sincere servants of God. None like a superstitious devoto to manage the devil's work of persecution thoroughly, and to purpose. They'll rush violently and head-long into the blood of their dearest relations, or most emi nent saints, to whose sides the devil sets this sharp spur.
Superstitious zeal draws all the strength and power of the soul into thatonedesign; and woe to him that stands in the way offucha man, if God interpose not betwixt him and the stroke.
It was a rational with of him that said, Liberet me Deus ab homine unius tantum negotii, Goddeliverme from a man of one only design.
Now consider, reader, if thy judgment be weak, and thy affections warm, how much thou liest exposed, not only to errors which may ruin thyself, but also to tongue and hand. persecution,wherein Satan may manage thy zeal for the injury or ruinofthose that are better than thyself: And withal, con sider, how many dreadful threatenings are found in scripture2gainstthe instruments of persecution, so imployed and managed by Sat an.
Certainly, reader, it were better for thee to stand with thy naked breast before the mouth of a discharging cannon, than that thy soul should stand under this guilt, before such a scrip ture-threatening as that, Psal. vii. 13. " He hath also prepared
" for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
"against the perfecutors." And none more likely to become such,thanthoseofthine owntemperandcomplexion; especially if grace be wanting in the heart, whilst zeal for erroneous principles eats up the affections .
Second Defenfative.
Confider what mischief zeal for an error will do to thine own soul, as well as others .
It will wholly in gross thy time, thoughts, and strength : fo that if there be any gracious principle in thee, it shall not be abletothrive and prosper.
For look as a fever takes off the natural appetite from food, fo will erroneous zeal take off thy spiritual appetite from meditation, prayer, heart-examination, and all other the most necessary, and nourishing duties of religion, by reason whereof thy grace must languish.
When thy soul, with David's, should be filled and feasted, as with marrow and fatness, by delightful meditations of God upon thy bed, thou wiltbe rolling in thy mind thy barren and insipid notions, which yield no food, or spiritual strength to thy soul; thou wilt lie musing how to dissolve the arguments, and objections against thine errors, when thou shouldest rather be employed in solving the just and weighty objections that lie against thy sincerity, and interest in Christ, which were time far, better improved.
Third Defenfative. Confider howbaneful this inordinatezeal hath been to Christian society, lamentably defacing, and almost • dissolving it every where, to the unspeakabledetrimentof the churches.
We read, Mal . iii. 16. of a blessed time, when they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name. Oh happy time! Halcyon days ! I myself, remember the time, when the zeal of the saints spent itself in provokingone another to love, and good works, in joint and fervent prayer, in inward, experimental, andedifying communion; myfoulhath them still in remembrance, and is cast down within me : for alas ! alas ! how do I see every where Christian communion turned into vainjanglings ? Churches and families, into mere cockpits ? Mens discoursings falling as naturally into contentions about trifles, as they were wont to do into heavenly and experimental subjects, to the unspeakable disgrace and damage of religion .
Fourth Detenfative.
That opinion is justly to be suspected for erroneous, which comes in at the postern-door of the affections; and not openly and fairly at the right gate of an enligh-
A Blow at the Root; or, tenedand well-fatisfiedjudgment.
It is a thief that cometh in at the back-door, at least strongly to be suspected for one.
Truth courts the mistress, makes its first, and fairest addresses to the understanding.
Error bribes the handmaid, and labours first to win the affections, that by their influence it may corrupt the judgment.
And thus you see, besides the innocent occasion, viz.God's permission of errors in the world, for the trial of his people, nine proper causes of errors found in the evil dispositions of the minds of men, which prepare them to receive erroneous doctripes, and impressions, viz.
1. A wrangling humour,at the pretendedobscurityof Scripture.
2. The abuse of that Christian liberty, purchased by Christ.
3. Slothfulness, in searching the whole word of God.
4. Fickleness, and instability of judgment.
5. Eagerness after anodines, to ease adistresfed conscience.
6. Aneafycredulity, infollowingthejudgments, and examples of others.
7. Vaincuriofity, and prying into unrevealed secrets.
8. The pride and arrogancy of human reason.
9. Blind zeal, which spurs on the soul, and runs it upon dangerous precipices.
Wenextcometo confider the principal, impulsive cause, by which errors are propagated, and disseminated in the world.
Cause 10. Come we next, in the proper order, to confider the principal, impulsive cause of errors; which is SATAN, working upon the pre-disposed matter he finds in the corrupt nature of man.
* The centurists, speaking of the strange, and sudden growth of errors, and herefies, immediately after the planting of the gospel by Christ, and the apofstles, ascribe it to Satan.
Satan was a liar from the beginning, andabode not in the * Which thing indeed, doth abundantly show that the malice of Satan is dreadful, who being conquered and overthrown by Christ, hath nevertheless attempted to sully, rent, and almost overturn his word, and the whole frame of religion, by horrible opinions and blafphemies .
But we should have in view these monttrous inventions of this malignant spirit, and, as it were, these first springs of many herefies, which afterwards increased in a wonderful manner, like rivers receiving others into them, &c.
Hist. Magdeb. cent. 1. lib. 2. cap. 5.p. 368.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
truth : *He hates it with a deadly hatred, and all the children, and friends of truth.
And this hatred he manifesteth sometimes by raising furious storms of persecution against the fincereprofeffors of it, Rev. iii. 10. and sometimes by clouds of herefies, and errors, with design to darken it.
In the former he acts as a roaring lion; in the latter as a subtle serpent, 2 Cor. xi. 5. " I fear, left as the serpent beguiled Eve through " his fubtilty; so your minds should be corrupted from the " simplicity that is in Christ."
He is exceeding skilful,and dexterousin citing, and wresting the scriptures to serve his vile designs and purposes ; and as impudently daring, as he is crafty, and cunning ; as appears in thehistoryofChrist's temptation in the desart, Mat. iv. 6. where hecitesone partofthatpromise,Psal. xci. 11. andsuppresseththe reft; shewstheencouragement, viz.Heshallgivehis angels charge over thee; but clips off the limitation of it, viz. to keep thee in allthyways : In viis, non in praecipitiis, In our lawful ways, not in rash, and dangerous precipices ; as Bernard well gloffeth.
And 'tis worth observation, that he introduceth multitudes of errors into the world under the unsuspected notions of admirable prophylactics, and approved preservatives from all mischiefs, and dangers from himself.
Under this notion, he hath neatly, and covertly flided into the world, holy-water crossings, reliques of saints, and almost innumerable other superstitious rites.
Erroneous teachers are the ministers of Sat an, however they transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, 2 Cor. xi.
15. and the subtle, dangerous errors they broach, are fitly stiled by the Spirit of God, τα βαθη του Σαλανου, the depths of Satan,Rev. ii. 24. The corrupt teachers, theGnostics, &c. called them depths, i e. great mysteries, high and marvellous attainments in knowledge ; but the Spirit of God fits a very proper epithet to them.
They are satanical depths, and mysteries of iniquity.
Now the level and design of Satan herein, is double.
First, He aim sat the ruin, and damnation of those that vent, and propagate them; upon which account the apostle calls them, αιρεσείς απωλειας, 2 Pet. ii. I. destructive, or (as we render
* When Swinkfield sent his books to Luther, he told the messenger, the devil was the author of them and the Lord rebuke thee, Satan, was the answer he returned to them.
A Blow at the Root; or,
it)damnable heresies. And because God will preserve the souls of his own from this mortal contagion, therefore,
Secondly, He endeavours, by lesser errors, tobufythe minds, and check the growth of grace in the souls of the saints, by employing them about things foforeign to truegodliness, and the power thereof, Heb. xiii. 9.
The remedies.
The rules, for prevention and recovery, are these that follow:
Rule 1. Pray earnestly for a thorough change of the state, and temper of thy soul, by found conversion, and regeneration.
Conversion turns us from darkness to light, and from the power of Sat an to God, Acts xxvi. 18. They are his own slaves and vassals, that are taken captive by him at his will, 2 Tim. ii. 16. A sanctified heart is a sovereign defensative against erroneous doctrines; it furnishes the soul with spiritual eyes, judicious ears, and a distinguishing taste, by which it may discern both good and evil, truth and error, Heb. v. 14. yea, it puts the soul at once under the conduct of the spirit, and protection of the promise, John xvi. 13. and though this doth not secure am an from all lesser mistakes, yet it effectually secures him from greater ones, which are inconsistent with Christ, and salvation.
Rule 2. Acquaint yourselves with the wiles, and methods of Satan, and be not ignorant of his devices, 2 Cor. ii. 11 .
When once you understand the wash, and paint with which he sets off the ugly face of error, you will not easily be enamouredwith it.
Pretences of devotion upon one side, and of purity, zeal, and reformation upon the other ; though they be pleasant sounds to both ears, yet the wary foul will examine, before it receive, and admit doctrinal points under these gilded titles.
Those that have made their observations upon the stratagems of Sat an, will heedfullyobserveboth the tendency of doctrines, and the lives of their teachers; and if they find looseness, pride, wantonness in them, it is not a glorious title, or magnificent name that shall charm them.
They know Satan can transform himself into an angel of light; and no wonder if his ministers also be transformed into ministers of righteousness, 2 Cor. xi. 14, 15.
Rule 3. Resign your minds, and judgments in fervent prayer to the governmentofChrist, and conduct of the Spirit; and in all your addresses to God, pray that he would keep them chaste, and pure, and not fufferSatan to commit a rape upon
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
them: PleadwithGod that part of Christ's prayer, John xvii.
17. " Sanctify them through thy truth ; thy word is truth."
Rule 4. Live in the conscientious, and constant practice of all those truths and duties God hath already manifested to you.
This will bring you under that blessed promise of Christ, John vii. 17. " If anyman will do his will, he shall know of "the doctrine, whether it be of God "
Satan's greatest successes are among idle, notional, and vain professors ; not humble, serious, and practical Christians, i Cause 11. Having considered, and dispatched the several internal causes of error, found in the evil dispositions of the seduced, as also the impulsive cause, viz. Satan, who fits suitable baits to all these sinful humours, and evil tempers of the heart; we come next to confider the instrumental cause, employed by Sat an in this work, viz. the false teacher, whom Satanmakes use of as his seeds-man, to disseminate and scatter erroneous doctrines and principles into the minds of men, ploughed up, and prepared by those evil tempers fore-mentioned, as a fit foil to receive them.
The choice of instruments is a principal part of Sat an's policy. Every one is not fit to be employed in such a service as this. All are not fit to be of the council of war, who yet take their places of service in the field. A rustic carried out of the field, on board a ship at sea, though he never learned his compass, nor saw a ship before, can,by another's direction, tuglustilyatarope; but hehadneedbe an expert artist, that fits at the helm, and steers the course.
The worst causes need the smoothest orators; and bad ware, acunningmerchant to put it off*.
Deep-patedmen are coveted by Satan, to manage this design :
None like an eloquent Tertullus toconfrontaPaul, Acts xxiv.
1.AfubtleEccius to enter the list, indefenceofthePopish cause, against the learned, and zealous reformers.
When the duke of Buckingham undertook to plead the bad cause of Richard the third, theLondoners said, They never thought it had been possible for any man to deliver so much bad matter, infuchgood words, and quaint phrases t.
* That the impostures ofMontanus were subtle and cunning, and suchasmight easily impose on some bya fair show, is plain from this, that he admitted almost the whole scripture, and as Epiphanius writes, taught the same things concerning God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, which the church of Christ did teach, Magdeb. Cent.
2. cap. 5.P.77 .
† Continuation of Daniel's History. p. 233.
VOL. IV.
A Blow at the Root; or, The first instrument, chosen by Satan to deceiveman,was the serpent; because that creature was more subtle than any beast of the field.
There is not a man of eminent parts, but Satan courts and folicitshimforthis service.
St.Austin told an ingenious, but unsanctified scholar,Cupitabsteornari diabolus, The devil covets thy parts toadorn his cause. He surveys the world, and wherever he findsmorethanordinary strength of reason, pregnancy of wit, depth of learning, andelegancy of language, that is the man he looks for.
These are the menthatcan almost indiscernibly sprinkle their errorsamongmany precious truths, and wrap up their poisonous drugs in leaf-gold, or sugar.
*Marefius notes ofCrellius, and his accomplices, That by the power of their eloquence, and fophistry of their arguments, they were able, artificially, tocloath horrible blafphemies,to allure the simple.
And, like the Hyaena, they can counterfeit thevoiceofthe shepherds,to deceive and destroy the sheep.
There is (faith a late + worthy) an erudita nequitia, a learned kind of wickedness, a subtle art of deceiving the mindsofothers. Upon which account the spirit ofGodsometimescomparesthem, 2Pet. ii.3. tocunningandcheating tradesmen, who have the very art to set agloss upontheirbadwareswith fine words, πλαστοίς λόγοις υμας
εμπορευσονται , theybuyand fellthepeoplewiththeirenfnaringand feigned words .
And sometimes he compares them to cunning gamesters, that have the art, and sleight of hand,tocog the die, to deceive the unskilful, and win their game, Eph. iv. 14. κύβεια, &c.
And fometimesthe spirit of God compares them to witches themselves, Gal. iii. 1. τις υμας εδασκανε, Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you ? How many strange fates have been done upon the bodies of menandwomen, by witchcraft? But far more, and stranger, upon the foulsofmen,by the magic of error.
Jannes, and Jambres,performed wonderful things in the fight * With the disguise of painted eloquence, with fophifticalargu. ments taken from scripture, perniciously wrested and with false and deceitful argument, the most horrid blafphemies are artfully dressed up to info are the simple.
Pres. to Hyd. Socin.
+ Mr. W. Gurnal, Christian armour, Part 2.p. 33 .
‡ There are certain vain talkers and seducers ofmens minds, not in reality Christians but men making a trade andmerchandize of Christianity, who so mix the poison of error with some sweetning allurements, as with wine and honey, that he who drinks of that palatable potion, being taken with its sweetness,isunawares, betrayed to death.
Ignatius Epift. to Trallian. p. 68.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
of Pharaoh,by which theydeceivedandhardenedhim; and unto these false teachers are compared.
Suchamanwas Elymas the sorcerer,wholaboured to seduce the deputy, Sergius Paulus, tho' a prudent man, Acts xiii. 7, 8,
9, 10. Ohfullof allfubtilty, and all mischief, thou child of the devil! faith Paul unto him. The art of seduction, from the ways of truth and holiness, discovers am an to be both the child, and Scholarofthedevil.
But as the wife and painful ministers of Christ, who turn many to righteousness, shall have double glory in heaven ; fo thefefubtile,andmostactive agents for the devil, whoturnmany from the ways of righteousness, will have a double portion of misery in hell.
The remedies.
The proper remedies in this case are principally two.
Remedy 1. Pray fervently, and labour diligently in the use of all God'sappointedmeans, to get more folidity of judgment, and strength of grace, to establish you in the truth, and secure your souls against the cunning craftiness of men that lie in wait to deceive.
It is the ignorance, and weakness of the people,which makes the factors for errors so successful as they are.
Confultthe Scriptures, and you shall find these cunning merchants drive the quickest and gain fullest trade among the weak and injudicious.
Sofpeaks the apostle, With good words, andfairspeeches, they deceive the hearts of the simple ; axund , harmless,weak, easy fouls,whohaveadefire to do well, butwantwisdom todifcern thefubtilties of them that mean ill; who are void both of fraud in themselves, and suspicion of others. Oh ! what success have thedeceivers, χρησολογια και ευλογια, their fair words and fugaredspeeches, sweet andtakingexpressions,among such innocent ones!
And who aretheyamong whom Satan's cunning gamesters commonly win the game, and sweep the stakes, but weak
Christians, credulous fouls, whom for that reason the apostle calls νήπιοι, children ? The word properly signifies an infant, when it is referred to the age; but unskilful andunlearned, when referred (as it is here) to the mind.
So again, 2 Pet. ii.
14. They (that is, the false teachers there spoken of) beguile ψυχας ἀσηρικτές, unstable fouls, fouls thatarenotconfirmedand grounded in the principles of religion. Whence by the way,
: take notice of the unspeakable advantage, and neceffityofbeing Iiz
A Blow at the Rost ; or, well catechised in your youth; the more judicious, the more secure.
Remedy 2. Labour to acquaint yourselves with the sleights and artifices Satan's factors and instruments generally make use of, to seduce and draw men from the truth.
The knowledge of them is a good defensative against them. Now there are two common artifices of seducers, which it is not safe for Christians to be ignorant of.
First, They usually seek to disgrace and blast the reputations of those truths, and ministers set for their defence, which they design afterwards to overthrow and ruin, and to beget credit, and reputation, to those errors which they have a mind to introduce. How many precious truths of God are this day, and with this design, defamed as legal and carnal doctrines ; and those that defend them, as men of anOldTestament spirit ?
Humiliation for fin, contrition of spirit, &c. fall underdifgrace with many, and indeed all qualifications, and pre-requifites unto coming to Chritt, as things not only needless, but pernicious unto the souls of men, although they have not the least dependanceupon them : yea, faith ittelf, asapre-requisite unto justification, as no better than a condition pertaining to Adam's covenant.
And fo for the persons of orthodox ministers ; you fee into what contempt the talse teachers would have brought both the person and preaching of Paul himself, 2Cor. x. 10. "His bo66 dilyprefence (fay they) is weak, and his speech contemptible."
Secondly, Their other common artifice is, to insinuate their false doctrines among many acknowledged and precious truths, which only serve for a convenient vehicle to them; and besides that, to make their errors as palatable and gustful as they can to the vitiated appetite of corrupt nature. The forementioned worthy * hath judicioufly observed how artificially
Satan hath blended his banetul doses, to please the palate of carnal reason, Spiritual pride, and the desire offlesbly liberty.
Carnal reason is that great idol, which the more intelligent part of the carnal world worships. And are not the Socinian heresies as pleasant to it, as a well mixt julep to a feverish stomach.
Spiritual pride is another Diana, which obtains greatly in the world; and no doctrine like the Pelagian, and Semipelagian errors, to gratify it. A doctrine that sets fallen nature upon its legs again, and persuades it, it cango alone to Christ ; at least, with a little-external help of moral fuafion, without any
Mr. W. G.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
preventing, or creating work in the soul. This goes down glib, and gratefully.
And then for flesbly liberty, How do those that are fond of it rejoice in that doctrine, or opinion, which looses nature fromtheyoke of restraint ? How does the poor deluded Papist hug himself, to think he hath liberty, by his religion, to let loose the reins of his lust to all fenfualities, and quit himself from all that guilt, by auricular confession to the priest once a year ? How doth the Familist smile upon that principle of his, which tells him, the gospel allows more liberty than severe legal teachers think fit to tell them of: they press repentance, and faith; but Christ hath done all this to thy hands.
Cause 12. Having considered the several causes of errors, found in the evil dispositions of the seduced, as also the impulsive, and instrumental causes, namely, Satan, and false teachers employed by him; I shall now proceed to discover some special, and most successful methods, frequently used by them, to draw the minds of men from the truth. Amongst which, that which comes first to consideration, is the great skill they have in representing the abuses of the ordinances of God, and duties of religion, by wicked men to scare tender and weak consciences from the due use of them, and all further attendance upon them.
The abuse of Christ's holy appointments is so cunningly improved to serve this design, that the minds ofmanywell-meaning persons receive such deep disgust at them, that they are scarce ever to be reconciled to them again. A fstrong prejudice is apt to drive men from one extreme upon another, as thinkingtheycanneverget far enough off from that which hath been so scaringly represented to them. Thus, making good the old observation, Dum vitantftulti vitia, in contraria current; they run from the trouble to me smoak of superstition, into the fire of an irreligious contempt of God's ordinances, split themselves uponCharybdis to avoid Scylla. Ex gr.
The Papists having deeply abused the ordinance ofBaptifm, by their corruptive mixtures, and additions of the surperftitious cross, chrism, &c. Part whereof is not sufficiently purged to this day by the reformation; and finding also multitudes of carnal
Protestants dangerously resting upon their supposed baptismal regeneration, to the great hazard of their salvation ; which mistake is but too much countenancedby some of its adminifstrators : they take from hence such deep offence at the administration of it to any infants at all, (tho' the feed of God's covenantedpeople) that they think they can never be sharp enough
Blow at the Root ; or,
in their invectives against it; norhavethey patience to hear the most rational defences of that practice.
So, for that fcriptural heavenly duty offinging: what more commonly alledged against it, than the abuse and ill effects of that precious ordinance ? Howoftenis the nonsense, and error of the common translation, the rudeness and dulness of the metre of some Psalms, as Psal. vii. 13. as also the cold formality,with which that ordinance is performed by many who de but parrotize ? I say, how often are these things buzzed into the ears of the people, to alienate their hearts from so sweet and beneficial a duty ?
Andveryoften we find it urged to the fame end, how unwarrantable, and dangerous athing it is for carnal and unregeneratedperfons, to appropriate to themselves in singing those praises and experiences which are peculiar to the saints; not understanding, or considering, that the singing of Psalms is an ordinance of Christ, appointed for teaching, and admonition, as well as praising, Col. iii. 16. " Teaching and admonishing
" one another in Psalms and hymns," &c.
* Thus Antinomianism took, if not its rise, yet its encouragement from the too rigorous pressing ofthelawuponconvinced sinners.
If Sat an can prevail first with wicked men, to corrupt and abuse God's ordinances by superstitious mixtures and additions; and then with goodmen, to renounce and flight them for thefakeofthose abuses; he fullyobtains his design, and gives
Christ a double wound at once; one by the hand of his avowed enemies, the other by the hands of his friends, no less grievous than the first.
First, wickedmen corrupt Christ's ordinances, andthengoodmennaufeate them.
The remedies.
The proper remedies against errors, infinuatedby the abuses of duties andordinances, are fuchas follow:
Remedy 1. Letmen confider,that there is nothing in religion so great, so sacred and excellent, but some or other have greatly corrupted, orvilely abused them.
What is there in the whole world more precious and excellent than the free grace of God ? and yet you read, Jude 4. of some that turned the grace of our Lord into lasciviousness.
What more desirable to Christians, than the glorious liberty Christ hath purchased for them by his blood, and settled upon * The divinity of former ages, faith Mr. Saltmarsh, put but a grain ordrachm of gospel to a pound of law, in their receipts for diftempered fouls.
Vide Saltmarsh of free grace, p. 40%
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
-them in the gospel-charter ? A liberty from Satan, fin, and the rigour and curse of the law; and yet you read, 1 Pet. ii. 16. of them that used this liberty for a cloak of maliciousness.
It is true, Christ came to be afacrifice for sin, but not a cloak for fin; to set us at liberty from the bondage of our lusts, not from the ties and duties of our obedience. Under the pretence of this liberty it was, that theGnostics,Carpocratians, and the Menandrians of old,did not onlyconnive at, but openly taught and practised all manner of lewdness and uncleanness.
+St. Augustine, in his book of heresy, makes this sadcom. plaint, " The Menandrians (faith he) do willingly embrace all
"uncleanness, as the fruit of the grace of God towards men.'
And not only the liberty purchasedbyChrist, but the veryperfon and gospel of Christ are liable to abuses; and oftentimes, through thecorruptions ofmens hearts,become stones of stumbling, and rocks of offence. What then? shall we renounce the grace of God, our Christian liberty, the very gospel, yea, and person of Christ himself, because each of them have been thus vilely abused by wicked wretches ? At the peril of our eternal damnation be it, if we do so.
Blessed is he (faith our Lord)that is not offended in me.
Beware, left by this means Satanatoncewound the Lord Jesus Christ by scandal, and thy soul by prejudice.
Remedy 2. Confider also, that it is the nature and temper ofa gracious foul, to raisehisesteem, and heighten his love to those ordinances, which are mostabusedanddisgracedbymen.
The more they are abused and opposed by others, the higher they should be valued andhonouredbyus: Psal. cxix. 126,
127. " It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made " void thy law; therefore I love thy commandments above
"gold, yea, above fine gold;" q. d.
The more they are disgraced and abused by wicked men, the more do I honour and prize them. A like spirit with David's was found in Elijah,
Kings xix. 14. " I have been very jealous for the Lord God " of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken thy
"covenant; thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets "with the sword."
A good man will strive tohonour and secure those truths and duties most, which he finds under most disgrace or danger : he loves the truth sincerely, who cleaves to it, and stands by it underallopposition.
This isa good trial of the soundness of thy +Menandriani omnem turpitudinem libenter amplexifunt, tané quamgratiaeDei erga hominesfructum.
August. lib. deHæref.
A Blow at the Rost ; or, heart, and purity of thine ends in religion; such a proof, as thehonour and reputation of religion in the world can never give thee.
In Solomon's time, the Jews were very cautious how they admitted and received proselytes, suspecting that by-ends, and worldly respects, may draw men to it; but they were not fo cautious in times of disgrace and persecution.
Remedy 3. Before you part with any ordinance, or practice in religion, bethink yourselves, whether you never found any spiritual blessings or advantages in that path which you are now tempted to forsake.
Had you never any spiritual meltings of your hearts and affections in that heavenly ordinance offinging ?,And, may there not be now thousands of mercies in your possession, in consequence to, and as the fruit of your solemn dedication to God in baptism, by your covenanted parents ? For my own part, Ido heartily and solemnly bless God for it upon this account; and so, I hope thousands, besides myself, have cause to do: however, such a practice may, by no means, be deserted by you, because abused by others.
Cause 13. Anothermethodand artifice, by which false teachers draw multitudes of disciples after them, is, by granting to their ignorant and ambitious followers the Liberty of Prophesy. ing: flattering them into a conceit of their excellent gifts and attainments, when God knows they had more need tobecatechised,and taught the principles of Christianity, than undertake toexpound and apply those profound mysteries unto others.
Satan hath filled the church and world with errors and troubles this way.
*When ignorant andunexperienced persons begintothink it alow and dullthing to fit from year toyearunder other mens teachings, and to fancy) that they are wiser than their teachers, theirpridewillquicklytempt them to shewtheir ignorance, and that mischievous ignorance will prove dangerous to the truth, and troublesome to the church.
The apostle forbids the ordi nation of a novice, lest he be puffed up, and fall into the condemnation of the devil ; and in 1 Tim. i. 7. he shews us the
* Ignorant and wicked men, not minding, that the fame inspired writer never advances contrary assertions on one and the same subject; and regarding only the found of the words, do overlook the sense and scope of them; and observing that there is a diversity or seeming contrariety in the same scripture-expressions, they have apostatized into error, not understanding the true meaning of them.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
realonwhy some swerved and turned aside unto vain janglings : and it was this, that they desired to be teachers of the law, neither understanding what they said, nor whereof they affirmed; that is, they affected to be preachers, though not able to speak congruously, with tolerable sense and reason.
I do not here censure and condemn the use and exercise of the gifts of all private Christians.
There are to be found, amongst them, some persons of raised parts, and answerable modesty and humility, who may be very useful, when called to service, in extraordinary cases, by the voice of providence ; or exercise their gifts in a probationary way, or in due fubordination unto Christ's public officers and ordinances, by, and with the confentof the pastor and congregation.
But when unqualified, and uncalled persons, undertake such a work, out of the conceit and pride of their own hearts, or are allured to it by the crafty designs of erroneous teachers, partly to overthrow a public, regular, and standing ministry in
the church, to which end the scriptures are manifestly abused, such as, Jer. xxxi. 34. Rom. xii. 6. 1 Cor. xiv. 1 Pet. iv. 10. with many others : this is the practice I here censure, which, like a Trojan horse, hath sent forth multitudes of erroneous perfonsintothe city of God to infest and defile it.
I cannot doubt but many a sincere Christian may be drawn intofuch employment, which puts him intoacapacity ofhonouringGod in a more eminent way, which is a thing desirable to an honest and zealous heart : and that the temptation maybe greatly Arengthened upon them by the plausible suggestions of cunningseducers, who tell them, that those ministers who oppose and condemn this practice, do it as men concerned for their own interest, as desirous to monopolize the work to themselves, and as envying the Lord's people : and that Christ hath given them a greater liberty in this case, than those menwillallowthem. By this means they draw many after them, and fix them in their erroneous ways .
I have no mind at all here to expose the follies and mischiefs introduced this way, as neither being willing to grieve the hearts of the sincere on one side, nor gratify scoffing Atheists, and profane enemies to religion upon the other side; only this
I will, and must say, that by this means the sacred scriptures are most injuriouslywrested, the peace and order of the church disturbed, and agreatmany mistakes and errors introduced.
The remedies.
The prevention and cure of errors thiswayintroduced, or VOL. IV.
A Blow at the Root ; or, likely to be introduced into the church, is by pondering andap plying the following considerations.
Consideration 1. Let all that encourage others, or undertake by others encouragement, such a work as this, for which they are not competently qualified, and unto which they are not regularly called, confider serionfly with themselves what danger they cast their own and other mens fouls upon.
The apottle tells us, 2 Pet. iii. 16. " That the unlearned " and unstable dowrest the scriptures to their own destruct i- " on."
Danger enough, one would think, to scare them from it, did not the same sin of ignorance, which makes them wrest
-the scriptures, cause them also to flight and overlook the danger of fodoing *.
Certainly, my friends, it is a great deal safer, and more excusable, to put an ignorant rustic into an apothecary's shop, to compound a medicine of drugs and spirits, which he understands not, and confidently administer the same to the bodies of men, than for such persons as are led by ignorance and confidence, to intermeddle with the ministerial employment; the one perhaps, by mistake, may poison me us bodies; but the other their souls.
An ignorant master, or pilot, that never learned the compass, are rather to be trusted among rocks and quick-sands, thana proud ignorant person with the conduct offouls.
Consideration 2. What daring presumption is it to intrude ourselves into so great and weighty an employment, without any call or warrant of Christ ! Rom. x. 14. "How shall they
" call upon himofwhom they have not heard? and, how shall they hear without a preacher ? and, how shall they preach
" except they be sent ?"
These mysteries must be committed to faithfulmen, who shall be able to teach others: those abilities must be examined,
1 Tim. iii. x. and the exercise of them warranted by a due and orderly appointment thereunto, I Tim. iv. 14. else, (asonewell observes) In tam praepostera disciplinae ruin a tot effent fenfus, quot capita; tot diffenfus, quot fenfus; we shall have as many ienses of scripture, as we have preachers, &c.
If every Phaeton, that thinks himself able, shall undertake to drive the chariot of the fun, no wonder if the world be set on fire.
Gifts and abilities ofmindarenot, of themselves, fuf ficient to make a preacher. Some lawyers at the bar, maybe
* Athanafius declares, that the malicious wresting of scripture brings forth errors.
Athanafius against Appolinar.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
as skilful as the judge upon the bench, but without acommiffion they dare not fit there.
Consideration 3. The honour you affect, to vent your unsound notions with liberty, is, in scripture-account, your greatestdifhonour.
The scripture reckons false teachers among the basest of the people: The prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail, i. e. the basest part of the whole body of the people, Ifa. ix. 15. And so far is due gospel-liberty from countenancingsuch dangerous irregularities, that we find in a clear prophecy of gospel-times, what shame God will pour upon them, Zech. xiii.4, 5. " They
" shall be brought with shame enough to confess, I am no pro- " phet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep
" cattle from my youth."
-Consideration 4. How much more safe, regular and advantageous were it for such as you, to fill your own proper places under able and faithful gospel-ministers, and to fuck the breasts of fruitful ordinances, than to consume and pine away by fucking your own breasts ? I mean, living upon your own weakandinfufficientgifts, in the sinful neglectofChrist's ap . pointments?
Cause 14. False teachers also propagate their errors by a spirit of Enthusiasm, the usual concomitant of erroneous doctrine; and draw away multitudes after them, by pretending to extraordinary revelations, visions, and voices from heaven, which seem to give great credit to their wayandparty t.
This was an old trick and practice of deceivers, Deut. xiii.
1. to give signs and wonders in confirmation of their way, which signs the Lord may permit to fall out to prove his people, ver.
2, 3. though, for the most part, they are confuted by their unanswerable events.
In the bginning of our reformation by Luther, Calvin, &c. there sprang up a generation of men, called Swinkfeldians, great pretenders to revelations and visions, who were always. speaking ofdeifications ; and an higher strain of language they
Kk2 † But some being deceived by the predictions of the false prophets, of whom both God and the true prophets had forewarned them, fell from the word of God, and forsook the true tradition ; for all these, being entangled with the snares of the devil, (which they ought to have foreseen and avoided) have profaned the divine
Name and worship, thro' their foolisiness.
Lact. book 4. chap. 30. onHeref.
260:
A Blow at the Root ; or, commonly used among themselves, than other serious Christians understood, and therefore scornfully entitled orthodox and humble Christians, who stuck to the scripture-phrase, and wholsome form of found words, Grammatists,
Vocabulists, Literalifts, &c.
" These men (as ‡ Scultetus in his annals, ad " annum 1525. observes of them) were so entangled in certain
" enthusiastic snares, that they thought it the highest impiety to renounce them; and they had befooled multitudes
" with their magnificent words of Illumination, Revelation, " Deification."
Much of the saine spirit was Thomas Muntzer, John ofLeyden, David George, Jacob Behmen, &c. whose cloudy nonfente, enigmatical expressions, and wilful obscurity, drew many into a strange admiration of them; they all pretend to an higher knowledgeofmysteries than what the gospel is acquainted with; andyetgive us (as Mr. Baxter well observes) neither reasons with Aristotle, nor miracles with Christ and his apostles, to cause us to believe any of their new revelations.
Vide Baxter of the Sin against the Holy Ghost, p. 148.
Of the fame bran were our late Familists in England, of whom Henry Nichols was the chief leader, who decried the written word as a dead letter ; and set up their own fond conceits and fancies under the notion of the Spirit, against whom that heavenly and learned man, Mr. Samuel Rutherford, feasonably and successfully appeared: Hacket, Copinger, andArthington were of the fame tribe ; who lived a while wraptup inAntinomian fancies, which at last brake forth into the highest and most horrid blafphemies .
Another art they make use oftofeduce the credulous, is a pretence unto the spirit of prophecy ; and great success they promise themselves this way among the weak, but curious vul-. gar. And to this end Satan hath inspired and employed some cunninger heads to invent very pleasing predictions and prophecies, in favourofthat party whom he designs to deceive.
And how catching and bewitching these things are, gaining more respect among these vain spirits, than the divine unquefionable prophecies of scripture, this age hath had full and sad experience.
Now the design of Sat an in these things, is to gain credit of those sects, as people peculiarly favoured and beloved of God
† Irretitifuis quibufdam Enthusiastic is laqueis, undese extricari fummamputant impietatem : dementabant multos magnificis iftis verbis, Illuminatio, Revelatio, Deificatio, &c.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
above others ; as if they were the particular favourites of heaven, as Daniel was ; and so to draw the multitude to admire their persons, and espouse their errors.
The remedies.
Now the remedies in this case are such as follow.
Remedy 1. Whatever doctrine, or practice seeks credit to itself this way, falls justly thereby under suspicion, that it wants afolidfcripture-foundation.
God hath not left his people to seek satisfaction in such uncertain ways as these; but hath given them a surer word of prophecy, to which they do well to take heed, 2 Pet. i. 19. He hath tied us to the standing rule of the word, forbidding us to give heed to any other voice, or spirit, leading us another way,
Ifa. viii. 19. 2 Theff. ii. 1, 2. Gal. i. 8. Scripture-light is a safe and sure light, a pleasant and sufficient light.
The scripture (faith Luther) is so full, that as for visions and revelations, Nec curo, nec defidero, I neither regard, nor desire them. And when he himself had a vision of Christ, after a day of fasting and prayer, he cried out, Avoid, Satan, I know no image of Christ, but the scriptures. An hankering mind after these things, speaks a fickly and distempered state of soul, as longing after trash in young distempered persons, doth adiftempered state, or ill habit of body.
Mr. William Bridges somewhere tells us ofa religious lady of the empress's bed-chamber, whose name was Gregoria, who being greatly troubled about her salvation, wrote to Gregory, that she would never cease importuning him, 'till he had sent her word, that he had obtained a revelation from heaven, that she shouldbefaved; to whom he returned this answer; Rem difficilem poftulas et inutilem, Thou requirest of me that which is difficult tome,and unprofitable for thee.
Remedy 2. Confider howoftenthe world hath been abused by the tricks and cheats of that officious spirit, the devil, in such ways as these.
What hath propagated idolatry among Heathens and Christians more than this ?
HincAuxerunt multae peregrinationes, monafteria, delubra, diesfefti et alia, faith Lavather, onJobxxxiii.
Pilgrimages, monasteries, shrines of saints, holidays, &c. have been introduced by this trick.
'Twere endless to give instances: of it in the histories of former ages *.
* Of the prophecies,visions,and pretended inspirations ofStorke, Pfeiffer, Be cold, Warendrop, &c. with the efficacy of them on the deluded
A Blow at the Root, or, र Wehaveanotable late account of it among ourselves, ina book entitled, [A Discovery of the notorious Falsehood andDif. simulation, contained in a book, stiled, The gospel way confirmed by miracles], licensed and published 1649,wherein is laid open to the world, the free confession ofAnn Wells, Matthew Hall,
&c. deluding the people of What field in Suffolk, with such pretended voices, visions, prophecies and revelations, the like have scarcelybeenheard of in England since the reformation.
Multitudes of people weredeludedby them.
At length the Lord extorted from this woman a fullconfeffionof the notorious falseness of these things, by a terrible vision of hell: her partizans laboured four days to suppress and stisle it, but to no purpose; for the horrors of confcienceprevailed with her to confess the notorious dissimulations contain ed in that book, before the people of What field, and a justice of the peace. And thus the Lord out-shot Satan in his own bow.
Remedy 3.
Considerhowdifficult, yea, and impossible it is for a man to determine, that such a voice, vision, or revelation, is of God; and that Satan cannot feign or counterfeit it; seeing he hath left no certain marks by which we may distinguith one spirit from another : an albus ? an ater?
Sure we are, Satan can transform himself into an angel of light; and therefore abandoning all those unsafe and uncertain ways, whereby swarms of errors have been conveyed into the world, let us cleave inseparably to the sure word of prophecy, the rule and standard of our faith and duty.
Cause 15. Another way in which false teachers discover their fubtilty with great success is, in timing their assaults, and nicking the proper season, when the minds of men are most apt and easy to be drawn away by their fair and specious pretences.
Such a season as this, they find about the time of mens first conversion, or soon after their implantation into Christ. Now it is that their affections are most lively and vigorous, though their judgments be but weak. They have now such strong, and deep apprehenfions of the grace and love of Christ, and such transcendent zeal for him, that they easily embrace any thing whereby they conceive he may be honoured, and exalted. They have also such deep apprehenfions, and powerful aversations as deluded people, andfatalconsequences of them both to the deceiv
T ed, and deceivers.
See Mr. SamuelRutherford's Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, p. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
to fin, that they are in danger to fly even from truth, and duty itself, when it shall be artificially represented to them as fin.
For not only that which is malumperse, sin indeed; but that which is male coloratum, painted with fin's colours, is apt to scare and fright them...
Besides, these young converts, or novices, have not had time to confirm, and root themselves in the truth; and trees, newly planted, are much more easily drawn up, than those that have spread, and fastened their roots in the earth.
'Tis observable what a swarm of false teachers troubled the churches of Corinth, Galatia, and Philippi, at, and newly after their first planting: and what danger those young Christians were in, abundantly appears in the apostle's frequent cautions, and holy jealoufies over them: he bids them " beware of dogs, beware
" ofevilworkers, beware oftheconcifion," Phil. iii.2. " I fear " left by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
" subtilty, foyour minds be corrupted from the simplicity that " is inChritt," 2 Cor. xi. 3. he was afraid of the Galatians, left he had bestowed upon them labour in vain, Gal. iv. 11. he would not give place to false brethren, no not for an hour,
Gal. ii. 5. charges the Romans to receive them that were weak in the faith, but not to doubtful disputations, Rom.xiv. 1.
All which, and many more expressions, discover his grounded jealousy, and their extraordinary danger of seduction at their first plantation . A novice, in Christianity, is the person Satan seeks for: Strong believers are not in such apparent danger as littleones in Christ, 1Johnv. 21. Little children, keepyourselves fromidols.
And the reason is, becausekeenaffections, matched with weak judgments, give a mighty advantage to seducers.
Children are apt to be taken with beautiful appearances, and fine thews ; and erroneous teachers have the very knack to set aglofs of extraordinary sanctity upon their dangerous opinions.
Hence those persons that promoted the sect of the Nicolaitans, made use of a cunning woman, who for her skill in painting errors with the colours of truth, got the name of Jezebel, Rev. ii.
20. That queen was famous for the art of painting, i Kings xvi. and so was this false prophetess: Indeed there was scarce any eminent sect of Errorists, or Heretics, mentioned in church history, but some curious feminine artist hath been employed tolaythebeautiful colours upon it.
So we find Simon Magus had his Helena ; Carpocrates, his Marcellina; Montanus, his
Priscilla and Maximilla.
And the curious colours of holiness, zeal, and free-grace, artificially laid upon the face of error,
A Blow at the Root ; or, how wrinkled and ugly soever in itself, sets it off temptingly and takingly to weak and injudicious minds.
Moreover, erroneous teachers are great boasters : They usually give out to the world, what extraordinary comforts they meet with in their way, which proves a strong temptation to young converts, whohavebeenso lately in the depths of spiritual trouble, to try at least, if not to embrace it, for the expected comfort's fake.
Ah, how many pious ministers in England, upon such grounds and pretences as these, have had their spiritual children rent from them as soon as born ? they have travelled as in birth for them; and no sooner did theybeginto take comfort in the success of theirlabours,but to the great griefanddifcouragement of their hearts, they have been this way bereaved of them. Those that have owned them as their spiritual fathers one month, would scarce vouchsafe to own them, when they have met them in the streets, another month.
Manysadinstances I could give of this, and as remarkable as they are fresh and recent ; but I silence particulars. Oh! see the advantage Satan and his instruments gain by nicking such a critical season as this is.
The cure, or remedy.
The remedies in this case, are twofold: the first respects the spiritual fathers, and the second the spiritual children; both are concerned in the danger, and the Lord help both to attend to their duty.
Remedy 1. Let all those whose ministry God blesses with the desirable fruits of conversion, look carefully after the souls of young converts.
No nurse should be more tender and careful of her charge, than a minister should be ; and unto the care ofa tender nurse,
Paul compareth his care over the young converts inTheffalonica, 1 Theff. ii. 7. for, alas ! they lieexposedto all dangers, they are credulous, and seducers cunning; they want judgment to discern truth from error; have not yet attained unto senses exercised, and age in Christ to discern good from evil; when errors are made palatable, children will be hankering after them; and seducers have the very art to make them so t.
Shepherds, look to your flocks ; imitate the great Shepherd of the theep, who gathereth the lambs with his arms, and carries them in his bosom; visit them frequently, exhort and warn
†-Veluti pueris absynthia tetra medentes Cumdareconantus, prius or as pocula circum
Continguntdulci mellis, flavoque liquore.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
them diligently, and use all means to establish them in the present truths.
Remedy 2. Letyoungconverts, and weak Christians, look carefully to themselves by an heedful attendance unto the following truths.
First, It is not safe to try, nor upon trial likely that you should find Christ in one way, and comfort in another. God doth not usually bless those ways to mens comfort and edification, into which they turn aside from that good way wherein they first met with Christ and conversion.
The fame ministry and ordinances, which are appointed and blessed for the one, are likewise appointed, and commonly blessed for the other,
Eph.iv. 11 , 12, 13.
Secondly, 'Tis a manifest snare of the devil (and you may easily discern it) to take you off from the great work you are newly engaged in, by entangling your minds in notions that are foreign to it.
Your hearts are now warm with God ; Satan labours this way to cool and quench them; the cunning cheat labours to steal away the sweet and nutritive food which isbeforeyou, and lay the hard and dry bones of barren controversies, and insipid notions in their room.
Your business is not to frame fyllogifms, or study solutions to cunning arguments about lower and lesser matters, so much as it is by prayer, and self-examination, to clear your interest in Christ, and to solve those doubts that lie with weight upon your spirits, with referencetothatgreat concern.
Thirdly, It is a fad thing to grieve the hearts of those faithful ministers, that have travelled in pain for us, and rejoiced in inourconverfion as the seal of their ministry. Oh ! serve not your godly ministers, as the hen is sometimes served, that hath longbrooded, brought forth, and withmuchcare and self-denial, nourished up young partridges, which, as soon as fledged, take the wing, and return no more to her.
Cause 16. There is yet another artifice of false teachers, to drawmen into errors, and that is, by pressing theconfciences of those they have made some impressions upon, unto all haste and Speed, openly to declare their new opinions, and a vow and own them before the world ; as knowing that this will rivet, and fix them to all intents and purposes.
When they find men under half convictions and strong inclinations to their way, they are sure then to ply them with a thick succession of motives and arguments, to join themselves by a free and open profession, to that erroneous party, which areheadedbythemselves.
VOL. IV.
A Blow at the Rost; or, And the arguments usually pressed to this purpose are, 1. The danger of delay.
2. The comfort of declaring themselves.
1. They press them with the danger of the least delay, by telling them, That now they must live every day and hour in known fin, and hold the truth of God in unrighteousness, the evil whereof they skilfully aggravate; and the more tender and sensible the conscience is, the deeper impressions such discourses make, although the case indeed will not bear the weight they lay upon it, as having not that due allowanceGodgives of time and means of full information inmattersofthis nature ; yea, possibly driving them into as great a foare by precipitation, and too hasty engagements under a doubting conscience.
2. They press them to a quick resolution with the expect at i. ons of abundance of comfort, inward peace and joy, which will resultfromafullengagement of themselves, and open declaration of their judgment; proselyting to a party being the main design they drive at.
This was the very art and method by which Satan prevailed with Eve to swallow the bait, Gen. iii. 5. " ForGoddothknow,
" that in the dayye eat thereof, thenyoureyes shall be opened, " and ye shall be as gods, knowing goodandevil ;" q. d. The * sooner thou tastest, the better; for the first taste will give thee a godlike knowledge, and marvellous advancement of thy un. derstanding: didst thou but know the benefit that would accrue to thee hereby, thou wouldst notdelayone moment : And thus by setting before her the speedyandimmediatebenefits of eating, he prevailed, and drew her into the fatal snare.
In this, the ministers of Satan imitate the ministers of Christ.
As these press mentomakehafte to Christ, left by consulting with flesh and blood, and listening to the temptations of Sat an, hopeful inclinations should be blasted in the bud; fo the others puth men on to hasty resolutions, left by hearkening to the voice of God's Spirit, and their own consciences, the defiga they have fo far advanced, should be lostanddisappointed. The ministers of Christ urge men to a speedy change of theircom pany and to associate themselves with spiritual and profitable
Christians, aswellknowing of what great use this willbetoconfirmand strengthen them in the ways of God: So errorifts, in like manner, vehemently urge them to associate with their party, as knowing how one wedges in, and fixes another in the ways of error; for such causes Satan pushes on half convictions into hasty resolutions, quick dispatch being his great advantage.
This the apostle intimates, Gal. i. 6. "I marvel (faith he) that
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
"ye are fofoon removed," &c. έτω ταγέως, what, so soon ! yes, ifithadnotbeen so soon, it might never have been at all: for errors (as one ingeniously observes) like fish, must be eaten fresh and new, or they will quickly stink.
The cure, or remedy.
The remedies and preventatives, in this case, are such as follow :
L Remedy 1. Confider thathasty engagements, in weighty and disputable matters, have cost many fouls dear.
As hasty marriages have produced long and late repentance ; so hath the clapping up of an hasty match betwixt the mind and error. By entertaining of strange persons, men sometimes entertain angels unaware; butbyentertainingofstrangedoctrines, many have entertained devils unawares. 'Tis not safe to open the door of the soul, to let in strangers in the night; let them wait till a clear day-lightofinformationshewyou what they are.
Remedy2. Weighty actions require answerable deliberations.
It was the worthy saying of August us Ceaser *, " That's soon 66 enough, that's well enough."
There be many things to be considered, and thoroughly weighed, before am an change his judgment, and embrace a new doctrine or opinion.
Luther, in his epistle to the ministers ofNorimberg, cites an excellent passage out of Basil †, "He that is about to separate himself from
" the society of his brethren, hadneedtoconfider many things "even unto anxiety, tobegofGod the demonstration of truth,
" withmanytears; and to passmanyfolitarynights with waking " eyes, before he attempt, or put such a matter in execution."
By the vote of the whole rational world,time and consideration ought to be proportionate to the weight of an undertaking.
Remedy 3. the only season men have to weigh things judiciouflyandimpartially, is before their affections be toofarengaged, and their credit and reputation too much concerned.
Men are better able to weigh doctrines and opinions,whilst they are other men's, thanwhenthey have espoused them, and made them their own, Before an opinion be espoused, the affections do not blind and pervert the judgment, as they do afterward.
Self-love pulis down the balance at that end which L12 * Sat is celeriter quicquid commodegeritur.
+Multa anxie confide rare eum oportet, etmultasnoctes abfumere infomnes, et cum multis lacrymis petere a Deo veritatis demonftrationem, quife afratribusfeparari vult.
Blow at the Root; or, is next us*.
If therefore, by hasty resolution, you lose this only proper and advantageous season of deliberation, you are not like to find such another, Remedy 4. Trust not to the clearnessofyour own unassisted eyes, nor to the strength of your single reason; but consult, in such cases, with others that are pious and judicious, especially your godly and faithful ministers ; and hearken to the counsels they give you.
Paul justly wondered that the Galatianswere so soon removed : and well he might ; for,had they not aPaul to consult with, before they gave their consent ta false teachers ? or, if he was at a distance from them, about the work of the Lord, in remote places, had they no godly and judicious friends near them, whose prayers and assistances they might call in, as Daniel did, Dan. ii. 17. Woe unto him that is alone in a time of temptation, except the Lord be with him by extraordinary assistance and direction.
Remedy 5. Lastly, Suspect that opinion (as justly you may) for erroneous, that is too importunate, and pressing upon you, and will not allow you due time of consideration, and means of information : That which is a truth to-day, will be a truth to morrow ; but that which looks like a truth to-day, maybe detected, and look like itself, an odious error, to-morrow :
And this is the reason of that post haste that Satan and his factors make to gain our present consent, left a speedy detection frustrate the suit, and spoil the design.
The uses follow in fix consectaries.
Confestary 1. From all that hath been faidabout errors, we see, in the first place, the great usefulness and plain necessity of an able, faithful, standing ministry in the church.
One special end of the ministry, is the establishment of the people's fouls against the errors of the times,Eph. iv. 11, 14. "He
" gave some apostles, &c. that we henceforthbenomorechildren, " tossed to andfro,and carried about with everywindofdoctrine,
" by the flight of men," &c . Ministers are shepherds; andwithoutashepherdhowfoonwill the flockgo astray ? Moses was absent but a few days from the Ifraelites, and a this return found them all run into snares of idolatry. A sheep is animalfequax,a creaturethatfollows a leader. One straggler may mislead a whole flock. A minister's work isnotonlyto feed,but defend the flock,
" I am set (faith Paul) for the defence of the gospel," Phil. i. 17.
An orthodox and faithful minister, is a double blessing *Per it omnejudicium, cum res transit in affectum, i. c. When the affections are biassed, judgment is lost.
The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.
to the people; butwoe to that people,whose ministers, instead of securing them against errors, do cause them to err, Isa. ix.
16. they are the dogs of the flock: Some in Scripture are called dumb dogs, who, instead of barking at the thief, bite the children; but faithful ministers give warning of spiritual dangers.
So did the worthy ministers of London, Worcestershire, Devon, &c. in their testimonies against errors.
Confectary2, This discourte shews us also how little quietness and peace the church may expect, till a greater degree of light and unity be poured out upon it; what by perfecutions from without it, and troubles from within, little tranquillity is to be expected. 'Tis a note of St. Bernard's, that the church hath sometimes hadpacem aPaganis, fed raro autnunquam a filiis, peace sometimes from Pagan perfecutors, but seldom or never any peace from her own children.
We read, Zech. xiv. 7. the whole state of the Christian church, from the primitive days to the end of the world, set forth under the notion of one day, and that a strange day too, the light of it shall neither be clearnordark, nor day nor night, but at evening-time it shall be light ; i. e. a day full of interchangeable and alternate providences; sometimes persecutions, heresies, and errors prevail, and these make that part of the day dark and gloomy ; and then truth and peace break forth again, and clear up the day. Thus it hath been, and thus it will be, until the evening of it, and at evening time it shall be light ; then light and love shall get the ascendant of error and divisions.
Most of our scuffles and contentions are for want of greater measures of both these.
Confectary 3. From the manifold causes and mischiefs of errors before mentioned, we may also see what a choice mercy it is to be kept found in judgment, stedfast andunmoveable in the truths and ways of Christ. A found and stedfast Christian is a blessing in his generation, and a glory to his profession.
It was an high encomium ofAthanafius, Sedem maluit mutare, quamfyllabam : i. e. He would rather lose his seat, thana syllable of God's truth.
Soundness of judgment must needs bea choice blessing; because the understanding is the το ήγημονικον, that leading faculty which directs the will and confcienceofman, and they his whole life and practice. How often, and how earnestly doth Christ pray for his people, that they may be kept in the truth ?
'Tis true, orthodoxy in itself is not sufficient to anyman's salvation; but the conjunction of an orthodox head, with an honest sincere heart, does always constitute an excellent
A Blow at the Root; or, Christian, Phil. i. 10. Happy is the man that hath an head fo hearted, and an heart so headed.
Confectary 4. By this discourse, we may further discoverone great and special cause and reason of the lamentable decay of the spirit and power of religion, amongst the professors of the prefentage.
'Tis a complaint more just than common, that we do all fade as a leaf. And, what maybe the cause ? Nothing more probable, than the wasting of our time and spirits in vainjanglings, and fruitless controverfies, which the apostle tells us, Heb. xiii.
9. have not profited, i. e. they have greatlydamnified and injured them that have been occupied therein. Many controverfiesofthese times grow up about religion, as fuckers from the root and limbs of a fruit-tree, which spend the vital sapthat should make it fruitful.
* 'Tis a great and sad observation made upon the state of England, by some judicious persons, That after the greatest increase of religion, both intensively in the power of it, and extensively in the number of converts, what a remarkable decay it suffered both ways, when, about the year forty-four, controversies anddisputations grew fervent among professors.
Since that time, our strength and glory have very much abated.
Confectary 5. From this discourse we may also gather, the true grounds and reason of those frequent perfecutionswhich
God lets in upon his churches and people : These rank weeds call for snowy and frosty weather, to subdue and kill them.
I know the enemies of God's people aim at something else; they strike at profession, yea, at religion itself; and according to their wicked intention, without timely repentance, will their reward be : But, whatever the intention of the agents be, the issues of persecution are, upon this account, greatly beneficial to the church ; the wisdom ofGodmakes them excellently useful, both to prevent and cure the mischiefs and dangers of errors.
If enemies were not, friends and brethren would be injurious to each other.
Persecution, if it kills not, yet, at least, it gives check to the rife and growth of errors : And, if it do not perfectly redintegrate and unite the hearts of Christians, yet, to be sure, it cools and allays their sinful heats; and that two ways :
( 1.) By cutting out for them far better and more * England in four years became a fink, and puddle of all errors and sects ; no province, since the beginning of the world, in so short a time produced so many Herefies as this.
Honor.Reg. deStatu Ecclef. Britan,p. 1 .