VirefJiom for young Chriftiam. do: One while rhey arc aU for a Wodhip of meer fhew and Ceremony ; and an~ther while againft the determination of meer circumfiances of order and decency by man : . One whde they er~ ~p~o-rhing but Frct--1,race: and anocher while nothing ~ut_ F:re-wiU. O~e whtfc. they are for a DifCJpl~nc ft ·tt than the Rule: and another while for no D,fc1plme at all. Fnfi for t1mcrous cornplyance With c~~J, e:nd afterwards fOI boytterous contempt of Government. Abundance fuch infiances we might give you. . · h' d d 9· 2 , The remedy againfi this difcafe is, to proceed del,berately, and rece1v~ not tng, an ~no.. thing rafhly and unadvifedly iJ1 Religion. For when you have found out your hrfl error, you Will be affrigbted from that inw rhe 'onuary error. See ~hat you loo_k round about Y?~: as well to the error that you may run into on the other fide, as 1~to that w~1ch you have run mto already. Con· Cult alfo wirh wife experienced men: And mark theu unhappmdS that have fallen on both .fides; and fiay not to know evil by fad experience, True mediocrity is the only way that's fafe : Though.neg– ligence and lukewarmnefs be odious, even when cloked with that name. 5' Direct. 1 r. I Et not your firft Opi1rion1 about the controverted difficultitJ in Religicn, (where Scri.. Direlt. 1 t. _ pture i 1 110t vrry pluin) be to~ peremptory,,confident or fixed: B~t holdt!Jem modejlly, ~or Model\:~ with 11 due [ufpicion 4 yom 1mripe undcrjfandmgJ, and rrmh room fir further mformatzon, [uppojing 111 Y?~r fir it poffible or prob.:Jble, tluzt upcm better injlrNUi"n evidenceand matHrity, you mtzy, in [uch thing I, change Opuuons. ;our mind,. §· r. I know the factions that take up their Religion on the credit of their party, are againfi this Dirtliion: thinking that you muft firll hit on the right Ch11rch, and then hold aUthat the Churchdoth hold ; and therefore change your mind in nothing, which you this way receive. I know alfo tha.t fome Libertinu and balf-btlicvert, would corrupt thi~ Dired:ion, by extending it to the moll plain and necelfary truths; perfwading you to hold Chrifiianiry it felf, but as an uncertain probable Opinion. Bui as Gods foundation ftandnh [urr, fowe mufi be furely built on his foundation: He that be. licveth not the"F.ffentialJ ofChrijlia11ity as a crrtain mceffary revelation of God, is nbt a Chriflian but an Infidel. And he that believeth not all that which he underfiandeth in the Ward ofGod, beiievetlt nothing on the credit of that word. Indeed faith hath its weaknc(s in thofc that are fincere; and they are fain to lament the remnants of unbelief, and cry, [Lord incre~fi our faith: Help thou our tmbelief: J But he d1at approveth of his DoHhting~ and would "ave it fo, and thinks the revelation ir uncertain, and fuch as will w.Jrr!fnl no firmer a belief, I lhould fcarcely fay this man is a Chrifiian. Chri!\ianity mull be received as of Divine infallible revelation. But controverfies about ltfs neceifary things cannot be determim:d peremptorily by the ignorant or ~oung beginners, without hypocrifie, or a humane [~titb going under the' name of a Divine. I am far from abating your Divine belie[of all that you can underll:and in Scripture, an~ implicitely of all the refi in general. And I am far from diminifhing the credit of any truth of God. But the Reafons of this Direction are thefe. 9· 2. 1. When it is certain that you have but a darl<. uncertain tJpprehenfion of any point, to think it is clear and certain, is but to deceive your fdvcs by pride. And eo cry out againfi: all Hnr;ertainty asfcepticifmr, which yet you canntt lay afide, is but to revile your own infirmicy,and the common infir– mity of mankind, and fooliilily to fuppofc that every man can be as wife a'nd certain when he li£\ as he fhould be. Now Reafon and experience will tell you, that a young unfurnifhed uuderflaoding is not like to fee the evidence of difficult points, as by nearer approach, and better advantage it may do. 9· 3· 2· If your conclufions be peremptory upon meer felf-conceitednefs, ypu may be in an error for Oui;,ht you know : and fo you are but confident ia an error~ A.nd then how far may y,ou go in ieducing others, and cenfuring dilfenters, and come back when you bave done, and confcfs that yo';l were all this while millakcn your (elves? . 9·.4· 3· For a man to be confider.tthat he knoweth what he knoweth not, is but Ihe way to keep . htm 1goorant, and iliut the door agamll all means of further mformation. When the Opinion is tixt by prejudice and conceit, there is no ready entrance fur the light. ~· 5· 4· And to be ungroundedly confident fo young, is not only to take up with your Teachers word,_inllead of a faith and knowledge of your own, but alfo to foreftall all diligence to know more i and !o you may lay by all your fiudies, fave only to know what thofe men hold, whofe judgements are your Religion: ( Too Popi01 and eafie a way to be fafe.) 9· ~· 5· If .you mull nevc~ change your firfi opinions or apprehcnfions, how Will you grow in under– fiandmg? Wtll you be no w1fer at age, than you were in chi!dhood, and afrer long fiudy and eXperi– ence than before ? Nature and Grace do tend to increafc. ~· 7· Indeed, if you fhould be never fo peremptory in your opinions, you cannot refolve to hold them to the end: For L1ght ts powerful ; and may change you whether you will or no: you cannot reil what that Light will do which you never C.w. But prejudice will make you refift the light and make it harder for you to underfiand. · 1 ' .~· S. Ifpeak this upon much experience and obfervation : Our jirft unripe apprehenfions of things, VIlli certamly be greatly changed, If we aiC fiudwus and of improved under!landings; Study the Con-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=