Post by Admin on Oct 19, 2023 13:44:29 GMT -5
Take heed of running from one extreme into another
Direct. X. 'When you are repenting of, or avoiding any extreme, do it
not, without sufficient fear and caution of the contrary extreme.'
In the esteem and love of God, your ultimate end, you need not fear
overdoing: nor any where, when impediments and backwardness or
impotency, do tell you that you can never do too much. But sin lieth
on both sides the rule and way: and nothing is more common, than
to turn from one sin to another, under the name of duty or
amendment. Especially this is common in matter of opinion: some
will first believe, that God is nothing else but mercy, and after, take
notice of nothing but his justice. First, they believe that almost all are
saved, and afterwards, that almost none: first, that every profession
is credible, and next, that none is credible without some greater
testimony: first, that Christ satisfied for none at all that will not be
saved, and next, that he died for all alike: first, that none are now
partakers of the Holy Spirit; and next, that all saints have the Spirit,
not only to illuminate and sanctify them, by transcribing the written
Word upon their hearts; but also to inspire them with new
revelations, instead of Scripture. First, they think that all that Papists
hold or do, must be avoided; and after, that there needed no
reformation at all. Now, they are for legal bondage, and anon for
libertinism: to-day, for a liberty in religion to none, that agree not
with them in every circumstance; and to-morrow, for a liberty to all:
this year, all things are lawful to them; and the next year, nothing is
lawful, but they scruple all that they say or do. One while, they are all
for a worship of mere show and ceremony; and another while,
against the determination of mere circumstances of order and
decency, by man. One while, they cry up nothing but free grace; and
another while, nothing but free will. One while, they are for a
discipline stricter than the rule; and another while, for no discipline
at all. First, for timorous compliance with evil; and afterwards, for
boisterous contempt of government. Abundance of such instances we
might give you.
The remedy against this disease, is, to proceed deliberately, and
receive nothing, and do nothing rashly and unadvisedly in religion.
For, when you have found out your first error, you will be affrighted
from that, into the contrary error. See that you look round about you;
as well to the error that you may run into on the other side, as into
that which you have run into already. Consult also with wise,
experienced men: and mark their unhappiness, that have fallen on
both sides; and stay not to know evil by sad experience. True
mediocrity is the only way that is safe: though negligence and
lukewarmness be odious, even when cloaked with that name.
Direct. XI.
Be not too confident in your first apprehensions or opinions, but
modestly suspicious of them
Direct. XI. 'Let not your first opinions, about the controverted
difficulties in religion, where Scripture is not very plain, be too
peremptory, confident, or fixed; but hold them modestly, with a due
suspicion of your unripe understandings, and with room for further
information, supposing it possible, or probable, that upon better
instruction, evidence, and maturity, you may, in such things, change
your minds.'
I know, the factious, that take up their religion on the credit of their
party, are against this Direction: thinking that you must first hit on
the right church, and then hold, all that the church doth hold; and
therefore change your mind in nothing, which you this way receive. I
know, also, that some libertines and half believers, would corrupt
this Direction, by extending it to the most plain and necessary truths;
persuading you to hold Christianity itself, but as an uncertain,
probable opinion.
But, as God's foundation standeth sure, so we must be surely built on
his foundation. He that believeth not the essentials of Christianity, as
a certain, necessary revelation of God, is not a Christian, but an
infidel. And he that believeth not all that he understandeth in the
Word of God, believeth nothing on the credit of that Word. Indeed
faith hath its weakness, on those that are sincere; and they are fain to
lament the remnants of unbelief, and cry, "Lord increase our faith:
help thou our unbelief." But he that approveth of his doubting, and
would have it so, and thinks the revelation is uncertain, and such as
will warrant no firmer a belief, I should scarcely say, this man is a
Christian. Christianity must be received as of divine, infallible
revelation. But controversies about less necessary things, cannot be
determined peremptorily, by the ignorant or young beginners,
without hypocrisy, or a human faith going under the name of a
Divine. I am far from abating your Divine belief of all that you can
understand in Scripture, and implicitly of all the rest in general. And
I am far from diminishing the credit of any truth of God. But the
reasons of this Direction, are these,
1. When it is certain that you have but a dark, uncertain
apprehension of any point, to think it is clear and certain, is but to
deceive yourselves by pride. And, to cry out against all uncertainty,
as scepticism, which yet you cannot lay aside, is but to revile your
own infirmity, and the common infirmity of mankind, and foolishly
to suppose that every man can be as wise and certain, when he list, as
he should be. Now reason and experience will tell you, that a young,
unfurnished understanding, is not like to see the evidence of difficult
points, as, by nearer approach, and better advantage it may do.
2. If your conclusions be peremptory, upon mere self-conceitedness,
you may be in an error for aught you know: and so you are but
confident in an error. And then how far may you go in seducing
others, and censuring dissenters, and come back when you have
done, and confess that you were all this while mistaken yourselves.
3. For a man to be confident that he knoweth what he knoweth not, is
but the way to keep him ignorant, and shut the door against all
means of further information. When the opinion is fixed by prejudice
and conceit, there is no ready entrance for the light.
4. And, to be ungroundedly confident, so young, is not only to take
up with your teacher's word, instead of a faith and knowledge of your
own, but also to forestall all diligence to know more: and so you may
lay by all your studies, save only to know what those men hold,
whose judgments are your religion: too popish and easy a way to be
safe.
5. If you must never change your first opinions or apprehensions,
how will you grow in understanding? Will you be no wiser at age,
than you were at childhood, and after long study and experience,
than you were before? Nature and grace do tend to increase.
Indeed, if you should be never so peremptory in your opinions, you
cannot resolve to hold them to the end: for light is powerful, and may
change you whether you will or no: you cannot tell what that light
will do, which you never saw. But prejudice will make you resist the
light, and make it harder for you to understand.
I speak this upon much experience and observation. Our first, unripe
apprehensions of things, will certainly be greatly changed, if we are
studious, and of improved understandings. Study the controversies
about grace and freewill, or about other such points of difficulty,
when you are young, and it is two to one that ripeness will afterward
make them quite another thing to you. For my own part, my
judgment is altered from many of my youthful, confident
apprehensions: and where it holdeth the same conclusion, it
rejecteth abundance of the arguments, as vain, which once it rested
in. And where I keep to the same conclusions and arguments, my
apprehension of them is not the same, but I see more satisfying light
in many things, which I took but upon trust before. And if I had
resolved to hold to all my first opinions, I must have forborne most
of my studies, and lost much truth, which I have discovered, and not
made that my own, which I did hold: and I must have resolved to live
and die a child.
The sum is, Hold fast the substance of religion, and every clear and
certain truth, which you see in its own evidence: and also reverence
your teachers; especially the universal church, or the generality of
wise and godly men; and be not hasty to take up any private opinion:
and especially to contradict the opinion of your governors and
teachers, in small and controverted things. But yet, in such matters,
receive their opinions but with a human faith, till indeed you have
more, and therefore, with a supposition, that time and study is very
like to alter your apprehensions; and with a reserve, impartially to
study, and entertain the truth, and not to sit still just where you were
born.
Direct. X. 'When you are repenting of, or avoiding any extreme, do it
not, without sufficient fear and caution of the contrary extreme.'
In the esteem and love of God, your ultimate end, you need not fear
overdoing: nor any where, when impediments and backwardness or
impotency, do tell you that you can never do too much. But sin lieth
on both sides the rule and way: and nothing is more common, than
to turn from one sin to another, under the name of duty or
amendment. Especially this is common in matter of opinion: some
will first believe, that God is nothing else but mercy, and after, take
notice of nothing but his justice. First, they believe that almost all are
saved, and afterwards, that almost none: first, that every profession
is credible, and next, that none is credible without some greater
testimony: first, that Christ satisfied for none at all that will not be
saved, and next, that he died for all alike: first, that none are now
partakers of the Holy Spirit; and next, that all saints have the Spirit,
not only to illuminate and sanctify them, by transcribing the written
Word upon their hearts; but also to inspire them with new
revelations, instead of Scripture. First, they think that all that Papists
hold or do, must be avoided; and after, that there needed no
reformation at all. Now, they are for legal bondage, and anon for
libertinism: to-day, for a liberty in religion to none, that agree not
with them in every circumstance; and to-morrow, for a liberty to all:
this year, all things are lawful to them; and the next year, nothing is
lawful, but they scruple all that they say or do. One while, they are all
for a worship of mere show and ceremony; and another while,
against the determination of mere circumstances of order and
decency, by man. One while, they cry up nothing but free grace; and
another while, nothing but free will. One while, they are for a
discipline stricter than the rule; and another while, for no discipline
at all. First, for timorous compliance with evil; and afterwards, for
boisterous contempt of government. Abundance of such instances we
might give you.
The remedy against this disease, is, to proceed deliberately, and
receive nothing, and do nothing rashly and unadvisedly in religion.
For, when you have found out your first error, you will be affrighted
from that, into the contrary error. See that you look round about you;
as well to the error that you may run into on the other side, as into
that which you have run into already. Consult also with wise,
experienced men: and mark their unhappiness, that have fallen on
both sides; and stay not to know evil by sad experience. True
mediocrity is the only way that is safe: though negligence and
lukewarmness be odious, even when cloaked with that name.
Direct. XI.
Be not too confident in your first apprehensions or opinions, but
modestly suspicious of them
Direct. XI. 'Let not your first opinions, about the controverted
difficulties in religion, where Scripture is not very plain, be too
peremptory, confident, or fixed; but hold them modestly, with a due
suspicion of your unripe understandings, and with room for further
information, supposing it possible, or probable, that upon better
instruction, evidence, and maturity, you may, in such things, change
your minds.'
I know, the factious, that take up their religion on the credit of their
party, are against this Direction: thinking that you must first hit on
the right church, and then hold, all that the church doth hold; and
therefore change your mind in nothing, which you this way receive. I
know, also, that some libertines and half believers, would corrupt
this Direction, by extending it to the most plain and necessary truths;
persuading you to hold Christianity itself, but as an uncertain,
probable opinion.
But, as God's foundation standeth sure, so we must be surely built on
his foundation. He that believeth not the essentials of Christianity, as
a certain, necessary revelation of God, is not a Christian, but an
infidel. And he that believeth not all that he understandeth in the
Word of God, believeth nothing on the credit of that Word. Indeed
faith hath its weakness, on those that are sincere; and they are fain to
lament the remnants of unbelief, and cry, "Lord increase our faith:
help thou our unbelief." But he that approveth of his doubting, and
would have it so, and thinks the revelation is uncertain, and such as
will warrant no firmer a belief, I should scarcely say, this man is a
Christian. Christianity must be received as of divine, infallible
revelation. But controversies about less necessary things, cannot be
determined peremptorily, by the ignorant or young beginners,
without hypocrisy, or a human faith going under the name of a
Divine. I am far from abating your Divine belief of all that you can
understand in Scripture, and implicitly of all the rest in general. And
I am far from diminishing the credit of any truth of God. But the
reasons of this Direction, are these,
1. When it is certain that you have but a dark, uncertain
apprehension of any point, to think it is clear and certain, is but to
deceive yourselves by pride. And, to cry out against all uncertainty,
as scepticism, which yet you cannot lay aside, is but to revile your
own infirmity, and the common infirmity of mankind, and foolishly
to suppose that every man can be as wise and certain, when he list, as
he should be. Now reason and experience will tell you, that a young,
unfurnished understanding, is not like to see the evidence of difficult
points, as, by nearer approach, and better advantage it may do.
2. If your conclusions be peremptory, upon mere self-conceitedness,
you may be in an error for aught you know: and so you are but
confident in an error. And then how far may you go in seducing
others, and censuring dissenters, and come back when you have
done, and confess that you were all this while mistaken yourselves.
3. For a man to be confident that he knoweth what he knoweth not, is
but the way to keep him ignorant, and shut the door against all
means of further information. When the opinion is fixed by prejudice
and conceit, there is no ready entrance for the light.
4. And, to be ungroundedly confident, so young, is not only to take
up with your teacher's word, instead of a faith and knowledge of your
own, but also to forestall all diligence to know more: and so you may
lay by all your studies, save only to know what those men hold,
whose judgments are your religion: too popish and easy a way to be
safe.
5. If you must never change your first opinions or apprehensions,
how will you grow in understanding? Will you be no wiser at age,
than you were at childhood, and after long study and experience,
than you were before? Nature and grace do tend to increase.
Indeed, if you should be never so peremptory in your opinions, you
cannot resolve to hold them to the end: for light is powerful, and may
change you whether you will or no: you cannot tell what that light
will do, which you never saw. But prejudice will make you resist the
light, and make it harder for you to understand.
I speak this upon much experience and observation. Our first, unripe
apprehensions of things, will certainly be greatly changed, if we are
studious, and of improved understandings. Study the controversies
about grace and freewill, or about other such points of difficulty,
when you are young, and it is two to one that ripeness will afterward
make them quite another thing to you. For my own part, my
judgment is altered from many of my youthful, confident
apprehensions: and where it holdeth the same conclusion, it
rejecteth abundance of the arguments, as vain, which once it rested
in. And where I keep to the same conclusions and arguments, my
apprehension of them is not the same, but I see more satisfying light
in many things, which I took but upon trust before. And if I had
resolved to hold to all my first opinions, I must have forborne most
of my studies, and lost much truth, which I have discovered, and not
made that my own, which I did hold: and I must have resolved to live
and die a child.
The sum is, Hold fast the substance of religion, and every clear and
certain truth, which you see in its own evidence: and also reverence
your teachers; especially the universal church, or the generality of
wise and godly men; and be not hasty to take up any private opinion:
and especially to contradict the opinion of your governors and
teachers, in small and controverted things. But yet, in such matters,
receive their opinions but with a human faith, till indeed you have
more, and therefore, with a supposition, that time and study is very
like to alter your apprehensions; and with a reserve, impartially to
study, and entertain the truth, and not to sit still just where you were
born.