;fo of theHUMS EItablifbmettt by Grace. S ne r. 711. Rueff. Butyou will fay, Is it unlawful toinquire and Difpute inmatters of Religi_ on? Is not this toplead with the Papifts for ignorance; and to make that the Mother of Devotion ?' Doth not the Apottle bid us Tryall things ? Are we not to fearch the Scriptures ? Are we nn forbid tobelieve every fpirit,, but to try it ? r john 4.1. Muft we not grow in Knowledge as well as Grace I If the Hea- thenmakeno fearcb, how can he turn Chri(tian? If the Papiado not enquire, how can he become Proteflant ? Whyare Reformationsfo much magnified, iffo be wemutt lie ddwn in an old ignorance, or take all things upon truft ? Is dot Anfw. this tomake - blinde men lead blinde, and fo both to fall into the ditch ? I (hall therefore handle this cafe onely, and fo make application : And firft, It cannot be denied, but that its a duty not onelyupon Mindters and learnedmen, but all Chriftians, men and women, to read and fearch the Scriptures, and not to take anyDoarineupon the Authority of men,& becaufe theState isof thatRe- ligion, or becaufe our Anceftors & Forefathersdid fo,and believed fo, i deferit rationempropterauthoratatem humanam,inciditin infipientiam beffialem,faid Durand: this mullbe acknowledged, &the iguorance,lafinefs andfottifhnefs ofmolt people is to be fharply reproved, who fee with other menseyes, believewith other mens faith, and do not reft affured inmatters of Religion, becaufe God faith fo, the word delivers fo,bnt becaufe menfay fo.Are not thofe Rereansfaid tobe more no- table then others,t/Ets17. t e, becaufe they examined theApoftles Doarine,and lookedwhether it was confonant to the Scripture or not andyet this is the ge- neral ignorance and ftupidityof the whole body ofChriftianity ; 1f they fhould Ise required togive an account of their faith, or their Worfhip of God; they could givenobetter anfiver, then that ignorant woman did to Chrift, Ourfathers Woe [hippedhere, andart thoubetter "then they ? John4. Our fathers believed thus, and are we wirer and holier then they: This is not faith; fbr faith is a giftof God, wrought by his fpirit in our bearts,whereby webelieve mattersofReligion, for a Divine Motive and Authority, even becaufe God bath revealed it in his word ; But wobe to us, becaufe of that fupine and damnable ignorance which is in mofl men This therefore muli be granted,that its our duty to growmore in knowledge, and not to rein as balfts in the principles of Religion, as the Apofile prefleth, but togrow and be ftrong men, and to have our fences exercifed todifcern betwelhgood and evil, Heb:6. but here is the difficulty, and thegreat wifdomrequired, howto ufe our parts in finding outtruth, fo as not to prejudice Grace in our hearts; for the Apoflle, when he faith in the Text, ¡te oodor better tohave the heart eflabtiJhrd with _;race, then With Do?runs about meats ; he loth notabfolutely forbid the Ddpures about them, forwe know this contro- verfiewas much difputed about, and even inthe Councel at ?erufalem, after therewas muchdifpote, there was a determinationof it for all Churches : There - fore take thefe Rules : t Firfl, Labor to knowand improvethyparts, but Ili/1in reference to Grace; Let all Runes howto knowledge tend to pra lice; count all that knowledge and Difpute barrenand diiputeabout unprofitable, whichBothnot leave thee in a better frameofheart, more godly, Rchgion, more humble, more zealous : Whenwe know truths, as they are in Jefus Chri(t, (:hoot presu- then they make us to put off theold man, and fobe renewed-more and more in dice to Grace our f irits; Ephef. t. Do notthen (fart ueftions,as children many times firick in thehcmt. P Í' f4 9 Y floors, to fee how the fparks fly out, butthey make no fire to warm themwith : Thou flarteftquefliòns, but they do not kindlea fire in thy bofome. 2- 2. Begin in a right matter : Fidt poffefs thy felfwell, and be rightly inflruled in the firff principles and fundamental points of Religion. The Apoffle to the Bede,its, though he would not have them flay in the fiat principles, yet he fup- pofeth they had not fully learned them : This bath mademany mifcarry in their difputesabout trath,they took upon them to teach others, before theywere well taught then-delves r They never were w ell catechifed and inflruaed in thefun- darner cal points of Religion, and,fo theybuild an hopfe without;a foundation. And
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