Conti, Of Religion, and its eppofits. Chap. 15. 179 profeffronbut only for this tryal. Idee oporret herefes effe inter mot , therefore there z Cot. t1.9` mull be heretics among you, and why p becaufe they which are approved maybe mode manifeft amongyou He that Paid, Fiat 1nk, let there.be light, and it was Ç'a*t 3> made , could have as eafly raid , Sit Oeritae, kt therebe truth , let therebepien. tv of truth , and it should have been fo ; but he hath given the reafon why he futfereth errour , that they may be tryed, that leek after the truth. Another reafon ofthis is , that forasmuch as God hath magnified his word , and a, & ï, truth above all things , and that it is the chiefe(t thing , and that he maketh molt 3 account of; he would therefore have it diligently to be fought by us, that we fhould thew our conformity tohim in the eftimation of it , and magnifie it above all things. For the necefüty of it, much neednot be fpoken ; it hath been partlyhandled al- ready ; but becaufe Truth and true Religion is a Way, as St. Peter calls it, and that z Pet. a.2,1 Waymull bring us to the right end, then it follows, that ofneceffity weare to find it. John 16.1 ;, The fpirit ofTruth is to guide us , and therefore it is requtfite we find him. If we find it not, we cannot come to our end. Einti in via alignserit termini+, but error immenJus eff,if a Man keep the Way,he mall at length come to an end of his journey, but errant- bath no end ; therefore the way mutt be found. The thingcommanded, is Religion, and true Religion,beri hominis Religie, which ivÌat,r our Saviour under the name of the Kingdom of Heaven, compareth to a Pearl, and 3 at him that fought after ir,to a Merchant,that Peeking after many, found one'Peart ofin- eftimable price and value ; and when he had found it; fold all that he had, andbought it. in which wemay confider his defire which is branchedout into threeAils. t.na- fwit. 2. Invent. 3. Emit. He fought, found, and bought. r. In regard ofthe manifold errours and falfhoods in theWorld, Inveftigation it molt neceffa ry ; that is,an earneft Rudy and applying ofthe mind, to find out Truth among many errours, contrary to the cuftomeOf this Age, where no Man defires to Peek; but in that Religion wherein a Man is born , in that he will growup and in that he will dye, and imagine that he hath found the Pearl, without reeking; and fo when our studies ripen, we only flick to tome Mens inOitutions. .&tofes feemeth to Deur,q.3e, be of another mind, and not only exhorteth, but commandeth the Ifraelites to enquire into all antiquities, and inall parts, and endsof thewòrld,.vhether there were any Religion fo true as theirs. No Man then ought to fuppofe hehath found the Truth , before he pathfought it; and a promife there is of finding, if we reek. The Mat,7.7: promifeofthe callingof the Gentiles, that God would be found of them that fought himnot, is no rule for us in thiscafe : but as wemutt enquire, fo we mull examine all truths. Therearemany counterfeit PCarls ; a Man muf} be able to diftinguifh before he fell all to buya Pearl. Hereditary Religion, Religionupon offencetaken, Religion upona fudden , there three at thistime poffefs the molt of Man kind. t. Either becaufe they willbe of the mind of Ankentius, Inbat. fide nattte fain, inhat itemmarist?, and in thiscafeReligion,findeth us, andnot we it. z. Or, becaufe 1 have received Come indignity in one Religion,I will be ofanother : or becaufe we have fuftained tome lofs, or had tome crofs by our Religion, therefore we will go over Seas; and there wewill leek, and find the Pearl ; and are able to fend itÑ be fo. 3. There is religie repentina, a sudden Religion. This is a (tumbling upon Religion without finely, by force that leek to Revelations, and prefer Fancies beforeordinary E1-3.6ç.,; means: whereas God bathgiven ordinary means, we rnuft have time, and ftudy, and z Thef. t'ar, means to find it; for in other cafes, and without thefe, there's no pramifet nor war- rant fromGod, that we (hall light upon it. But ifany (hall fay, wehave found it beforewe fought it, as God faith ofa People, I was found of them that fotight me not , we muff add, with the Apoltle , pmniy probate, there is an examinationanfwerable to Peeking : they that have it,muft either reek it, orexamine it; and not make examination ofthe truth in Religion amatter of death, as theTirk do. Seek therefore we muff, and inPeeking theFathers give many rules, but efpecially two rules muff beobferved. z.The firit our Saviourgives,liarireprim. It moltbe foughtbefore all other thing$, Mat.¢ Ij, and
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