Dirdl. 13· DireCI.r4· Direa. •s· Direll. 16. Direilions for young Students. 9· 27· Dircd. 13· 1ak.f n.ot~i~g atl!niverfally Ntceffary in Religivn, which rv.1! 1fot [o takmin the dd}'tl of the Aprjilu, and Przmmve Church; and tak._e that for the foftft way to He.:lVm whicb th ApnJl!a rH1lt 1rho ccrtain_ly ar~ there: :"alue the Apl!Jlolical purit.r, fimplicitj•, charity and unity; 411 j follow r.ot them tbat by bemg wife andptoUf.ovt'l·mucb, corrupt our jacredpattern by their additions and flU the CIJI!rch with mtcharitablcntfs and jlrift. ' §. 28. If it were not a thing too evident, thar Dominion and Riches go for Religion wirh them and gain fOr Godli~ltfS1 and honour and money inficad of argumenr, it would be a rnotl: fiupendi~ ous wonder, that (o many learned men (hould be found among Chriftians in the world, to hinder the J?Cace and unity of the Church, as do it vehemently and implacably in the Church of Rome ; when io cafie a thing, and fo rea.fonable, would unite almofi all the ChriHian world, as is} the requiring 11 1) more at nrcrfFJYy to our VntoH, than what Wat made neceffary in the dayes of the Apojltu, and the ob· trudi11g, notbing at 1ttctfJary to folvation, which the ApojtiC! and primitive Church were favedwithout. Thi.s t:atie rcafonable thing, which no man hath any thing of fecrning fen[c and weight to fpe•k agamit, would end all the ruinating differences among Chriftians. 9. 29· Direct. 1 4· Be defiroui to k._now aU that God would have you kJtoff', andbe r:vifing to be ignorant of all that God would bavt you ignorant of: and pry not into unrtvealed thingJ; and mucb lifs mal{e them tbe matter uf any uncharitable ftrife. • §.30 A?undance Of c.o~tcntious V?lumes between ~he: ~ominicans, and Jefuites, and many others, are !tuft wHh bold enqumes, wranglmgs, or determmatwns of unfqrchable myflerics, utterly un~ known to thofe that voluminoufly debate them, and nc:ver revealed in the Word or Works of God. Keep off with reverence from concealed myfieries; Talk not as boldly of the Divine influx, and the priority, pofttriority, dependtJnce or reafon of GodJ Decreu, as if you were talking of your common affairs. Come with great reverence when you are caUed of God to fearch inro thofe high and ho– ly truths, which he bath reve.zled. But pretend not to know that which is not to be Jtnown. For you will but di{Covcr your ignorance and arrogance, and know never the more, when you have doted about ~ellions never fo long. • §. 3 I· DireCt, 1 5· Avoid both extreams, of them that fludy no more) but to know what others have written and bcldbc[Btt tbcm; andof them that little regard the Jifcoveriet of others: Learn aUofyour ~J'eacher, and Ambon that they can teachyou; but mak,.e aU your own, and foe thing1 in their proptr evi– dcuce, and improve their difooveriabythe Z$tmoft.ofyour diligence; abhorring a proud defire of fingularity, or to fecm wifer than you are. • 9· 32· Moj! Students through f/othfulncfs look no further for knowledge, than into their Books; and their teaming lyeth but in knowipg what others have wtitten, or faid) or held before them; cfpe– cially where the lea£! differing from the judgement of the party ·which is uppermo£1, or in reputation doth tend to hnzard a mans honour, or preferments, there men think it dangerous to feem to kno;, more than is commonly known ; and therefore think it needlefs to fludy to know it : Men are back.. ward to take much pains to know that which tendeth to their ruine to be known, but doth them no harm while they can but keep thcmfelves ignorant of it: Which makes the oppejid Truth have fo few entertainers or Students among the Papifis, or any that perfecute or reproach it. And others difcerning this extre:~m, do run into the contrary ; and under pretence ofthe l<iJtlinefs of<f,utb, and the need of librrty of judging, do think the edifying way is fir£! to · pull down all that others have built before them, and little regard the judgement of their predecelfors, but think they mu£! rake nothing on t.mfi from others, but begin all from the very ground themfelves. And ufually their pride makes them fo little regard the mo£1 approved Authors, that they have not patience to read rhem till they throughly underfiand them ; but reject that which is received, before they underlland it, meerly becaufc it was che received way; And while they fay, that nothing mufi be taken upon trufi, they preftntly take upon trufi thernfdves that very opinion) and with it the othfr opinions of tholi: Novelills that teach thelb this. And believing what fuch foy in difgrace of otbm, withal they believe what they hold inoppofition to rhofe that ther.have difgraccd. But it is eafic to fee how fad a cafe manltind were in, if every man mu£! be afabricator of all hisknowledge himfelf, and polle– rity fhould be never the 6etter for the difcoveries of their ancefiors ; and the greate£1 labours of the wifdl men, and their highe£1 attainments mu£! .be no prolit to any but themfelves. Why do they ufe a"feacbcr, if they mull do all themfelvcs > If they believe not their Tutors, and take nothing on trull, itfeems they mull k>row every 1ruth before they will learn it: And what difference is there between btiieving a Tutor and an Autbor ? And is not that ~or~ credible which upon long expC!Iience is ap– proved by many Narions and Ages, than that whJCh JS recommended to you but by fne or few? Thcfe Students 0\0uld have made themfelves an Alphabet or Grammcr, and not have taken the common ones on iruil:. It is eafier to add to other mens inventions, than to begin and carry on all our•felvcs. By their courfe of fludy, the world would never grow wifer; but every age and per– fen be flill beginning, and none proceed beyond their rudiments. §· 33· Direct. 16. Be fitre y ort m:~~ cboice ofmeet Teacher I and companions for ' your jludies andyour livu; That they be fi~ch aJ wilJ 11Jlift you in the holy pra,llice ofwhat you know, as weD at in your '<.:now– ledge: Andjhun as a plague the fainiliarit.y, I. Of fenfual, idle, brutijh prrjinu; 2· And o( carnal ambitioul oues, who k!wrv 119 higher md tbaa pujcrment and applauft, 3· And ofproud beret,call con– tentiouJ" Jviti, whofe wi{dom and Religion ii nothing but cenfuring, rtproaching a11d vilifying them that ar~ wipr and better tlum thtmfelver. ~· 34· Bad
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