Virtl/. u. Vire/J. 12· Virel:/.13· ]);re{/. q .. Direa. 15. Dire/J,JIS. Vire/J. 17• Direl/. r2. Virt/J.I~· Cautio~s for a)oiding Deceit i11 JJijptttation;. 9· 22. Direct. 1 r. Suffer Hll a r~mbling mind in ftudy, nor a rambling tallzer iu Difp 1 ttu, 10 in~ terrupt your orderly procedur~, •nddJVtrt yo:l from your argrmzent before you bri~tg it to tbe natural iffue. Both deceiving Sophlfi(rs, and gUdy beaded prarcrs, will be violent to frarr another game and fpoi~ the cha~t: of the poinr before you: Bu~ hold chcm ro it, or take them w be. unwmrh; to be d,fputed w11h, and let them go (excep!lt bewhere the weaknefsof the Auditorsrequirqh you to follow them tn thm W,ld-goofe Chafe.) You do but lofc umc in fuch rambling jludies or dijpuw. , 9·23• DireCt. 12. Be cautclour of admilling falfe {uppofitioJtt : or at lufl: of adrnilti»g any in– fer~Hc~ th4t dependcth up~n them~ In fom_c Clfrs a fuppofition of tha~ which is falfe m~y be wadr, whtle tt no way rends to mfer the truth of Jt : But nothmg mull be bmlt upon· that fal.fhood as il~rimaring it to be a truth. 1-~alfe fuppofitions cunningly and fecrerly workr inro arg1:1ments,, are very ordinary in!lmmcnts of dcccir. 9 24. Dinct. 13. Ple.:zd not uncertaintitt againft ccrtaimiu: But m::.ke crrtain point 1 the mea– Cure to try the Ultcert<.~in by. Reduce not things proved and fi~re to thofe that are dJubtful and jufily controverted : But reduce points difputable to thofe that are pall doubt. 9· 25. DireCt. 14· Plead ~tot tbt d.~rltJr 1extr of ~cript~re agai11jl t?ofe. tl~at are more pl:JiH JJnd cleal', nor a [e1v textr ag.unjl many th11t are · M pl.mt :. For that whiCh IS mrerpreted againfi the moll plainand frtquent exprcllions of the fame Scripture 1s certainly mif.interpreted. 9· 26. Direct. '5· 1ake not ohfcure Pr~pbtcier for Precepu : The obfi;urity is enoue:h to make you caurelous how you vencure your (elf in the Practice of that which you underllar;d not ; But jf there were 110 obfcuri1y, yet Proph~ci:s are no warrant to you to fultill thtm ; no though they be for the Churches good. Predt~!Ons tell you but de evcntu what wiU come to plfs, but warrant not you ro bring it to pa{s : Gods Pmphefics are oft~timcs fulfilled by the wick– edefi: men, and the wickcdell m~:ans. As by the Jews in killing Chrill, and Ph.traob in rc– fufing to let lfrad go, and Jehu in pnniOting the houfe of Ah.b. Yet many (df-conoeited perfons think rha( they cm fetch th.at out of the. Revcl.ztionJ or the _Prophecies of JJ.micl, that will juflitic very horrid crimes, whtlc they ufe wtc!<ed means to fu!hl Gods Prophecies. ~ §· 27· Direct. 16. Be vtry cattttlom in wb.Jt cafe~y·u tak.f mtn/ pra~lice or tx.m:zple ta be i.nftead af precept, in the focrcd Scripturu. In one c~.fe a Prafilct o~ cx.Jmple IS obhg•tory to u.s as a Precept : and that is when God doth give men a comm1ffion to efiabl1fh the form or orders of hrs Church and Wor– fh ip (as he did to Mofer and to the Apofilcs ), and promifeth theJTl his Spirit to lead them into aU truth in the matters.which he cmployeth them in, here God is engaged to keep chem from mifcarrv– ing; for if thty lhould, his work would be ill done, his Church would be ill confiirured and framed, and his fervams unavoidably deceived: The Apofiles were authorized toconfiirute Church officers, and orders for continuance, and the Scripture which is written for a grezt pur, hifioriqlly, acquaints us what they did (asweN as what they fjid and wr"'te) in the building of the Chmch in obcdic.nce to their commillion (at lean in declaring to theWorld what Chrifl had firft "appointed). And thus if their praliice were not obligatory to us, their words alfo might be avoided by the fame pretenCes. And on this ground (at lcafi ) the Lords day is ealily proved to be of Divine appointment and obligation. Only wemull fee that we carefully diUinguifh between borh the fVordJ and Pramccr of the Apollles which were upon ap9rticu/ar and tempiJrary occafion (and obligation) frotn thofe that were upon an univcrf<tl or permanent ground. ' · 9· 28. Direct. 17. Be very c.mttlour wh.Jt Conclufiont )'Oit rJife from a1ry mter wari.!J of Providencr. For the hold and hltnd cxpolition of rhefe, ~ath lead abu~dance in.ro moft heynous fi ns: No pravi– dence is infiead of a Law to us: But fom::-ttmcs and ofr·ttmes prov1dence changeth the A1atter of our duty, and fo occafioncth the change of our obligltions: (As when the husband rl,reth, rhe Wife· is difobliged, &c. ) But men of worldly difpolitions, do fo over-value worldly things, that from them d:ey venture to take the meafure of Gr)ds Love and hatred, and of the caufes which he appravtth or di[approveth in the World. And the wifdom of God doth fccm on purpofe, to cau[e fuch wonderful unexpeCted muu.tions in the affairs of n.l~n, as flu.ll. thamc the principles or fpirits of thefe men, and manifefi their giddincf• and mutab•hty to thm conf<>fion. One year they fay; Thu ir [ure the caufe uf God, or elfe be would nevrr '"'"it M be dJt!J : Another year they fay, If tbu bd been Godr caufe be Jl'!otdd nevtr have [o difowned it: Jufi as [h~ Barbanans Judged of Paul when the Viper feized on his hanci. And thus God is judged by them to on>n or difow>t by his pr:ifpering or ~(jli[iing, more than by his Word. 9· 2 9. Dired. r8. In controverjie1 which m~tcb drptnd on the finctriJy or txperiwce ef Godly men, tak._e bud that you affe{l not fiugul~rit)1 and dtpart not fro".' the cammtm {cnfe rf the Godly. For the worki,.gs of Gods fpirit are bettequdged of, by the ordmary tenour of them, than by fome ( re.! or fuppofed ) cafe that is extraordinary. 9· 30. Dil('(~l', 19. In Contrgvtrfiu which moft d~pe;!d o~ the ttftimony of A11tiquity, dcp1rt mt frarn the judgement if tbe a1zciemr. They that fiooJ wuhm Vtew of the dayes of the Apofilescould b:ttt·r tell what they did, and what a condition they left the Churches in, d1an we can do. To appeal to the Ancients in every caufe, even in thofe where the later Chrillians do excell thtm, is but to be fools in reverence of our fore-fathers wifdom. But in points of HiOory, or any thing in whi'h they had the advantage of their pofierity, their tefiimony is to be preferred.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=