Salvi effe non poffumus nifi ad

falutem proxi

in what manner a man fhould make profeffion of what he conceives to be truth, though it be different from his Brethren.

For the firft. Certainly profeffion in fome things is very neceffary.

Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse, and with the mouth confession is made unto falvation. Confeflion is here joyned to believing, as neceffary to falvation. This I conceive to be the meaning of those places which hold forth the neceffity of Baptifme, He that believes and is baptized, sball be faved. Auguftine in one of his Sermons De Tempore, fayes, Wee cannot be faved, except wee profeffe our faith outwardly for morum, etiam the falvation of others. And Chrift, Mar. 8. 38. fayes, Whoore prefileamur foever shall be afbamed of him and of his words, in this adulfidem Aug. de terous and fin full generation, of him fball the Sonne of Man be afbamed, when he comes in the glory of bis Father with his bely Angels. Ad Aras Jovis And it is obfervable, that they follow upon those words, aut Veneris a• What shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world, and loofe dorare, ac fub bis owne foule? or what shall a man give in exchange for his foule? Antichrifto fidem occuliare. As if Chrift fhould fay, If you would not lofe your foules Zuingl ep 3. eternally, look to this, make profeffion of the truth, as you are called to it; though you live in a wicked and an adulterous generation, yet be not ashamed of me before them; for if you be, your fouls may goe for it eternally.

temp. 181.

Non perfecte credunt, qui quod credunt

nolunt loqui.

Zuinglius in his third Epiftle, fays, We may as well with a DiAug. in Plalm oclefian worship before the Altar of Jupiter and Venus, as conceale our faith under the power of Antichrift.

115.

Quando in particulari tanta.

Now though profeffion be neceffary, yet in what cafes we fit utilitas vel are bound to profeffe, and in what not, is no eafie matter to meceffitas prox- determine. imi, ut praci.

Jam cbligatio.

nem inducat, arbiario prudentis judian dum eft, nam

regula omnino cert 1 affignari non potest.

this

Zuarez, a man of great judgement, yet falling upon Question, When a man is bound to make profeffion of the Truth, fayes, Wee cannot give rules in particular, when there is a neceffity of profession, in regard of the good of our neighbour, but it must bee determined by the judgment of Pru

dence.

But though the determination be very difficult, yet we may

Suar. de Fid. affert thefe five cafes to bind us to profeffion.

Difp.1j. fe&

feffion.

Firft, when the truths are neceffary to falvation, and my In what cafes forbearance in them may endanger the falvation of any, the we are bound falvation of the foul of the pooreft beggar, is to be preferred to make probefore the glory, pomp, outward peace and comforts of all I. the Kingdoms on the earth; therefore much before my private contentments: In extream danger of life there is no time to reason what in prudence is fit to be done,but fave the mans life if you can, and reafon the cafe afterward..

Secondly, when not profeffion fhall be interpreted to be a denyall, though in cafe of a leffer truth; I must not deny the truth, the leaft truth interpretative, I muft rather be willing to fuffer, then the truth fhould fuffer by me fo farre : This was Daniel's cafe, when he would not ceafe his praying three times a day, neither would he fhut his windows, though it endangered his life. A carnall heart would fay, why might not Daniel have been wifer? he might have forborn a while, at leaft he might have fhut his windows. No, Daniel was willing to venture his life in the caufe, rather then he would fo much as by way of interpretation, deny that honour that he knew was due to God,

Thirdly, when others fhall be fcandaliz'd, so as to be weakned in their faith by my denyall; yea, so scandalized as to be in danger to fin, because they see me not to profeffe; in this cafe we muft venture very far, we should take heed of offending any of the Saints, so as to grieve them, but when the of fence comes to weaken their faith to occafion their fin, there we should venture very far to our own outward prejudice,a ther then fo to offend them.

Fourthly, when an account of my faith is demanded, if it be not either in fcorn to deride, or in malice to ensnare, but ferioufly, fo as the giving it may be to edification, especially in a way of giving a publique teftimony to the truth, 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketb you a reafon of the hope that is in you. If to every one, much more to Magiftrates.

Fifthly, fo far as those whom God hath committed to my charge for inftru&ion are capable,at fome time or other I muft manifeft that truth of God.to them that may be for their good according as I am able..

Yet

2.

3.

4.

5.

Six cafes in which we are

not bound to make profeffion.

I.

2.

3.

Yet this duty of profeffion being a duty required by an affirmative precept, though we are bound alwayes, yet not to all times, femper, but not ad femper, we must alwayes keep fuch a difpofition of heart, as to be in a readiness, rather to give teftimony to any truth of God, if called to it by God, then to provide for our cafe or any outward comfort in this world, fo as we may be able to appeal to God in the fincerity of our hearts, to judg of that high efteem we have of his truth. Lord if thou shalt make known to me now or any other time, that thy Name may have any glory by my profeffion, of any truth of thine, whatfoever become of my outward peace, eafe, or content, I am ready to do it for thy Names fake. There is a time, fays Hugo, when nothing is to be spoken, a time when fomething, but there is no time when all things are to be fpoken.

There are fixe other cafes wherein you are not bound to profeffe.

First, when you shall be required in way of fcorn, or to enfnare you; this were to caft pearls before fwine.

2ly. You are not bound to make profeffion of a truth to those who are not able to receive it, whose weaknesse is such, as they cannot underftand it till they be principled with some other truths. I bave many things to say, fayes Chrift, but yee are not able to beare them. So St. Paul, Haft thou faith? bave it to thy felfe; he speaks in the cafe of doubtfull things, which will trouble weak ones.

3ly. When mens hearts appear fo corrupt, that there is apparant danger of abuse of truths, to the ftrengthning them in their lufts, there are precious truths that many Minifters cannot fpeak of before people without trembling hearts; and were it not that they believed they were the portion of some foules in the Congregation, they dared not mention them.

4ly. When your profeffion of fome truths will take off mens hearts from other that are more weighty and neceffary. The rule of the Apoftle, Rom. 14. 1. holds forth this; Receive not thofe men who are weake in faith to doubtfull difputations; this may hinder them in the great things of the King tome of God, Righteoufneffe, peace, joy in the holy Ghoft, verf. 17. As if the Apostle should say, Let them be wel established in them;

but

but thefe doubtfull difputations will hinder them in such things as these are.

Fiftly, when my profession at this time in this thing is like to hinder a more useful profeffion at another time in another thing. Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind, be that is wife keeps it in till afterward. It was the wifdome of Paul when he was at Athens, not presently to break out against their Idols, hee ftaid his due time, and yet all the time hee kept in his uprightneffe in the hatred of Idolatry as much as

ever.

Sixtly, when our profeffion will cause publick disturbance, and that to the godly, the difturbance of mens corruptions who will oppofe out of malice, ie not much to be regarded. When it was told Chrift the Pharifees were offended, he cared not for it, but he made a great matter of the offence of any of his little ones. When men who love the truth as well as wec, fhall not only be against what we conceive truth, but shall be offended, and that generally at it; if we have discharged our own consciences by declaring as we are called to it what we conceive the mind of God, we fhould fit down quietly, and not continue in a way of publique offence and disturbance to the Saints. The rule of the Apoftle will come in here, Let the spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets wee fhould wait till God will fome other way, or at fome other time have that prevaile in their hearts and confciences of his people which we conceive to be truth, and they are now fo much offended at. There could never be peace continued in the Church, if every man mug continually, upon all occasions, have liberty openly to make profeffion of what he apprehends to be a truth; never have done with it, though the Church, which is faithfull, and defires unfeignedly to honour Chrift and his truth, be never fo much against it.

In divers of these cafes the confideration of that Text, Eccl 7. 16. is very futable; Be not righteous over much, neither make tby felfe over wife, why shouldst thou deftroy thy felfe? Amongit other things this is included in the scope of the Holy Ghoft; when you apprehend a thing to be a truth, do not think that you are bound all times, upon all occafions, to the utmoft profefs, practise, promote that truth, without any confidera

5.

6.

tion of others, being carried on with this apprehenfion, it is a truth, come of it what will, whatsoevr becomes of me, whatsoever trouble fhall follow upon it, I muft and will profeffe it; and publish it again and again to the death: In this you had need look to your fpirit, in this you may be overjuft, and make your felf over-wife; though there may be fome uprightneffe in your heart, fome love to Chrift and his truth, yet there may be mixture of your own spirit also ; you may Atretch beyond the rule; this is to be over-righteous, to think out of a zeal to God and his truth, to goe beyond what God requires.

It is true,at no time,upon no occasion,though thy life,and all the lives in the world lay upon it, thou must not deny any the leaft truth, but there may be a time when God doth not require of thee to make profeffion of every thing thou believett to be a truth.

You will fay, This tends to loofness, to lukewarmness, to time-ferving; men pretending and pleading discretion,grow loofe and remiffe, and fo by degrees fall off from the truth. ~

Verf. 17. Let men take heed of that too; Be not over-much wicked, neither be thou foolish. As you must be carefull not to goe beyond the rule, fo take heed you fall not off from it ; so you may grow wicked and foolish, yea very wicked, overwicked, God will meet with you there too: Wherefore vers. 18. It is good thou shouldst take bold of this, yea also from this withdraw not thine band: Take both, be carefull of thy felf in both, but especially mark the laft clause of the 18. verf. He that feareth God fball come forth of them all. The feare of God poffeffing thy heart, will help thee in thefe ftraits; thou shalt by it be delivered from being enfnared by thy indiscreet, finfull-zeale, and it fhall likewife keep thee from bringing mifery upon thy felfe, by falling as farre on the other hand, to looseness and time-ferving. The fear of God will ballaft thy foul even, it will carry thee on in a way that shall be good in the eyes of the Lord, and of his Saints.

: There is a natural boldnes, and a mixed zeal in many who are godly,that carries them on in those ways that causes great difturbance to others, and brings themselves into great ftraits and fnares; and these men are very ready to cenfure others of

remi effe