Chrift hath fet over you; and if people may not leave their Paftors, because others have more eminent gifts, then furely Paftors must not leave their people, because others have more eminent Livings.

To inftance yet further, that you may fee how this Principle difturbs mens fpirits : Many being in the works of their Calling,have fome thoughts come into their mind,that prayer is a better work, more noble and fpirituall- then to be employed as they are; therefore they must needs prefently leave their worke, and go toe prayer: How many have been perplexed with temptations this way, by which their lives have been made very uncomfortable? Prayer in it felfe is better, but is it better at this time for me, all things confidered? am notl about that wch God hath called me to do? By this Principle many decive and trouble themselves, in refpe& of their fouls;as fome by a conceit of the like, nature, deceive & bring great trouble to themselves in refpe&t of their bodies; fome who have fickly bodies, their flesh is decayed, they think such and fuch things have moft nourishment in them, fuch things are hot, and full of spirits, and juyce, therefore they will eate and drink altogether fuch things, leaving their ordinary dyet; by this means they many times overthrow their bodies: for though a man wants flesh, yet the way for him to have it, it may be is not to take nourishing things, but purging; and though he be troubled with faintnefs, it may be the way to get good fpirits, is by eating ordinary dyet, and cooling his body, that fo fome diftem per may be cured, and he may get his veyns filled with good blood, and fpirits got from it, rather then by drinking hot waters that are full of fpirits, which perhaps burns his heart, and dries his body, that there is no good blood generated from his dyet.

It is not enough therefore to fay the thing is in it felfe better, but is it better in all the references I have, and it hath? is it better in regard of others, in regard of the publique, for the helping me in all my relations? May it not help one way, and hinder many ways? If a Phyfitian fhould come to a man, and fee his disease is hot, and fhould therefore prefently cool him by giving him water, the man may like it for the pre

fent;

ient; why is it not better to be cool, then fo burning hot?but thus the Phyfician discovers his folly, and the Patient·lofes his life. A Phyfitian in prescribing fome phyfick had need have forty confiderations in his head at once, how one part ftands affected to the other, of what yeers the man is, of what complexion, how long the disease bath been upon him, what was lait done to him, &c. So it should be in the duties of Religion, a Chriftian who defires to walk orderly, to beautifie and honour his profession to enjoy communion with God, & peace in his own foul, and be useful to the publique, had need have his wits about him, not prefently to fall upon a work, becaufe it is now prefented as good to him in a fingle confideration;he muft compare one thing with another, and fee what it is in all its references; or otherwife he will but enterfeir, hee will but hack and hew, and bungle, and disturb himselfe and others in the ways of Religion, he will make Religion tirefome to himfelfe and others, he will be in danger in time to caft off ftri&tneffe, and to grow fo much the more loofe then others, by how much more ftreightned he hath been in a diforderly way then others. I believe fome of you have known thofe who in their young time have been very ftrict and tender; whatsoever they have conceived to be better then other, they have presently followed it with all eagerneffe, never confidering circumftances, references, or confequences, but the thing is good, it must be done; yet being wearied with this, they have after grown loofe, in as great an exceffe, the other way; yea, it may be have vanished and come to no-thing.

CHAP. XIII.

The Seventh Dividing Principle; It is obftinacy for a man not to be convinced by the judgement of many, more lear-. ned and godly then himfelfe.

T

He making this to be the rule to judg obftinacy by, hath in all ages caufed great divifions by exafperating the fpirits of men cnc against another. In times of Popery what rage

The feventh dividing prin ciple.

What refpe&t is to be given to the judgenient of learned holy.

men.

did it raise againft men who were moft confcientious? the generality of men thought they did God good fervice, in perfecuting those who would not yeeld to the judgment of others, who had the repute of learning and piety; and those who were confcientious, could not yeeld to their determinations, not feeing the truth of God in them, and this made the ftir. VVhile men appear obftinate, by the rule of Chrift we are not to bear with them; and this Principle fets thoufands of godly peaceable men in the feat of the obftinate, these cannot in confcience yeeld, and others cannot but in confcience oppose them; what reconciliation then can there be hoped?either men must captivate their confciences, cause them in a fordid way to bow down to flavery, or elfe there muft needs be continuall divifion and oppofition where this prevailes.

I confeffe fuch a Principle as this is would make for union amongst those who either think they need not, or through carelefneffe regard not to fearth out truth, but with an implicite faith take in all that fhall be impofed upon them, who think ignorance of Gods mind and confcience flavery, to be no great evill;this is never urged with violence, but either by those who have given up their confciences to be ferviceable to the cafe and content of the flesh,or those who have, or hope to have power in their hands, to bring others in fubje&ion to them.

Because the right informing our judgments in this, may much conduce to peace, I fhall endeavour, 1. To fhew you what due respect is to be given to mens judgments who are learned and godly. 2. Yet not fo much as to make their judgments the rule to judg men obftinate, if they differ from them. 3. VVhat then fhould be the rule? by what fhould we judg a man to be obftiate?

For the firft, Certainly much refpe&t is to be given to the learning and godlineffe of men. There is a great delufion in many mens hearts, that makes them thinke it to be halfe Po pery, to give any refpe&t to Learning; although the abufe of Learning hath done much evill, against that much hath been and may be faid; but I dare avow this, that never fince the beginning of the world could a man be found to fpeak against

Learning

earning but an ignorant man;neither is it like, nay I may aver, it is impoffible that any but fuch will be found to the end of the world: Learning hath fo much of God in it, that it never had nor will have any enemy but ignorance.

1 Tim. 4. 13. Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doarine. Ver. 15. Give thy felfe wholly to them, ev vereis, Be in them. And when we fee grace added to Learning, it fhould adde much to our esteem of such a man; it is the orient pearl in the gold ring, it is a great teftimony to a way, that it is the way of good men. Prov. 2. 20. That thou maist walke in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. The judgement and counfell of fuch is to be received with very great refpect, especially if the eminencie of their grace appears in the tenderness of their spirits, that we may fee much of the feare of God in them. Ezra 10. 3. Now let us make a covenant, according to the counfell of my Lord, and of thofe that tremble at the commandement of our God. And when not only fome few godly men are of this mind, but when it is that which God hath fealed in the hearts of the Saints generally, very high refpect is to be given unto it.

Wherefore he that differs in his judgment from wife, learned, godly men, had need

I.

Multa anxie

Firft, fpend much time in Prayer and Humiliation before the Lord. There is a notable expreffion of Bafil, cited in an Appendix of an Epiftle of Luther to the Minifters of Norimberg, who were at variance one from another: He who will feparate himfelfe from his brethren, bad need confider many things even to anxiety; be bad need break his fleep many nights, and feeke of God fumere infomwith many teares, the demonftration of the truth.

confiderare eum oportet,& mul tas notes ab

nes, & cum

petere a Deo menftrationem, qui le a fratribus feparare

21y. You muft even then when you cannot fubject to their multis lacrymis judgments, preferve due reverence in your heart, and fhew veritatis dedue refpects to men of learning and grace according to their worth. We have a notable relation of that holy man. Mr. Greenham, in a Letter of his to the Bishop of Ely, in whofe Dioceffe he lived; the Bishop seeking to bring him to conformity, obje&ed thus unto him, Why will not you yeeld? Luther approved of these things, are you n ifer then be? His fober and gracious answer was, I reverence more the revealed will of God in teaching that worthy inftrument of God, Mr. Luther fo many new

N

cessary

vult.

3.

4.

5.

ceffary things to falvation, then I fearch into his fecret will, why bee kept backe from his knowledge other things of leffe impor

tance.

3ly. If thofe things wherein we differ from the judgments of learned and godly men, be not matters of duty, they only may bring us to fome fuffering, we fhould filently yecld for peace fake, and out of refpect to them not oppoffe.

4y. In all things wherein you may have any helpe from them, you should repair to them, and defire to partake of the benefit of thofe gifts and graces God hath beftowed upon them.

5ly. In all things wherein you can agree, you should be the more carefull to manifeft all poffible obfervance and refpect to them,in bleffing God for any help he grants to you by them, either in making known his truth to you, or at leaft in further confirming you in it by them.

6ly. And in what fill your confciences will not fuffer you to agree with them, you are to take it as your affli&ion, and to account that way you are in to want a great luftre, and moft defireable encouragement, in that fo many learned and godly mens judgments and practices are against it.

We are to raise our refpects to men of learning and godlinefs thus high; but if we fhould go fo high, as to give up our judgment and confciences to them, we should in honouring them, difhonour Chrift, yea they would account them felves Quantum apud to be difhonored. Such as are truly godly and wife,do rather altos valeat au- account it their honor to carry a loving refpect to those who hayitas Eccle- differ from them, then defire that men should, blindfold, bejia, nejcie, cer fore they fee their grounds, follow them. Prelaticall fpirits le apud, me indeed account it their honour to force when to be of their Rantum valet, Mt cum Aria- mind; it is their glory that they can fay to the confciences nis Pelagi- of men, Bow down before us. A gracious fpirit abhors the anis fentire pof thought of fuch a tyranny. This to high raifing refpe&ts due fim, fi probajet to learned, holy men, hath been very hurtfull in the Church, Ecclefia quod prejudicial to the fouls of men, but especially to the honour of Chrift. I wil give you an inftance. Erafmus was no novice, yet how dangerously he was taken with this, will appear by a ftrange expreffion of his, in an Epiftle hee wrote to one Bilibaldus: How far the authority of the Church prevails with others,

illi docuerunt.

Eraf. Bilibal do Pyrckey

meroli. ep. 20. ep. 3.