him as of an excellent servant of Jesus Christ." The other of another who is not there named; “Such a man,” person, saith he," is a sincere minister of Christ, a godly and a moderate man; therefore though he dissent from us, I will not cease to love him still."

V. I shall now proceed to speak a few words, touching the rules which the apostle giveth for reconciling differences in the church: whereof the

First is, To attend upon God in those means and ways, whereby he is pleased to reveal his truth unto us; to dispossess ourselves of prejudice and partiality, and with candid affections and judgements to try the spirits; as being assured that, in all points needful unto life and godliness, ὁ τὸ πρῶτον δοὺς καὶ τὸ δεύτερον δώσει ", he who hath already revealed that wherein we agree, will also reveal that wherein we differ, if, with meekness of spirit, without wrath and cavillation, we do wait upon his word. And the means thus to do, are

1. To study the scriptures, which are the alone rule of all controversies, and are able to make us wise unto salvation, and thoroughly to furnish us unto every good work.

2. To attend on the ordinances, which open the scripture unto us, the ministry which Christ hath erected for this very purpose to perfect the saints, and to bring them, by the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full stature. (Ephes. iv. 12, 13)

3. Because the scripture may speak, and the ministry teach, and the heart all the while be sealed up and hear nothing, except the Lord from heaven speak, and open the heart to attend, as he did the heart of Lydia ;-therefore we must ever remember David's prayer, (Psalm li. 8) "Make me to hear joy and gladness:" otherwise seeing I shall not see, and hearing I shall not hear. It is the spirit of wisdom and revelation, which both openeth the heart to the word, giving an understanding to know the scriptures, and openeth the scriptures to the heart; for he takes of Christ's, and sheweth it unto us. (John xvi. 14) The spirit doth not reveal truth unto us, as he did in the primitive patefaction

b Greg. Naz. Orat. 44. e Matth. xiii. 13.

e Heb. xii. 25.

f Ephes. i. 17.

g1 John v. 20.

d Acts xvi. 14.

thereof to the prophets and apostles,-by divine and immediate inspiration, or in a way of simple enthusiasm: but what he reveals, he doth it by and out of the scriptures, which are the full and perfect rule of faith and obedience; as Christ opened to his disciples in the scriptures the things which concerned himself. (Luke xxiv. 27)

So then the only light by which differences are to be decided, is the word, being a full canon of God's revealed will: for the Lord doth not now, as in former times, nake himself known by dreams, or visions, or any other immediate way. To this the apostle referreth the church against danger of wolves. (Acts xx. 32) This (he said) is profitable, wpòs dδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἔλεγχον. (2 Tim. iii. 16) To this only St. Austin ha dlearned a "timorem et honorem deferre."b❝Si ad divinæ traditionis caput et originem revertamur, cessat error humanus."-Hæc sunt causæ nostræ documenta, hæc fundamenta, hæc firmamenta."-And this is the meaning of Tertullian, Optatus, Vincentius Lirinensis, and others, when they teach us to prove the truth of doctrine by ecclesiastical tradition, and the voice of the church; for they speak of Apostolical churches, which Tertullian calls Matrices Ecclesias,' and not of the peremptory authoritative decision of any present church: for they were all able, in so short a time as was between them and the apostles, to draw down from the apostles a doctrinal succession, which he calls Traducem Fidei,' and to assign the time, authors, and posteriority of those heresies which they gainsayed; as he saith, "Solemus Hereticis, compendii causa, de posterioritate præscribere."

I decline controversy thus, only in a few words. 1. It is fit that he who made the word, should be judge of the meaning of it. (1 Cor. ii. 11) "Cum de rebus Dei sermo erit, concedamus cognitionem sui Deo," saith Hilary.

2. When any assembly of men assume to themselves a

Aug. epi. 19, 48, 112, 166. Clem. Alex. strom. 1. 7. b Cyprian. cont. ep. Steph. * Aug. de Bapt. 1. 2. c. 3. 1. 5. 26. Contr. literas Petiliani 1. 2. c. 28. de unitat. eccles. c. 2, 3. Tert. Apolog. c. 47. de Resur. c. 3. contr. Marcion. L. 3. c. 5. P Optat. 1. 5. Irenæus 1. 4. c. 44. Ter. de præscrip. c. 19, 21, 22, 33, 36. cont. Marcion. 1. 4. c. 5. Aug. ep. 165. contr. Crescon. 1. 2. c. 33. Vincent. in commonitorio. Vid. Reynold Confer. with Hart. p. 141-151. Field, of the Church 1. 3. c. 40. e Hilar. de Trin. 1. 1, 3, 5.

judicature, which they deny to others, they must shew some ground of the difference, and some commission directed to them, and not to others; which the church of Rome endeavouring to do, are forced (though with little advantage) to fly to the scriptures: so that in this over-ruling controversy, the scripture is made the judge: and why not as well in the rest, since in them a lesser light than scripture is presumed to suffice?

h

g

But then the objection is, How shall I know the meaning of scripture, whereof one giveth one sense, and another another, if there be not some infallible judge to have recourse unto?' I answer, 1. Ad Hominem;' how shall I know that this man, or church, is to give that final sense which my conscience is bound to rest in, rather than another man, or another church.-2. We say, that the word is perspicuous, and hath "notas insitas veritatis" in all necessary truth, as being written not for scholars only, but for vulgar and illiterate men. And that this light in the word is manifested unto us, 1. By the manuduction and ministry of the church, pointing unto the star, which is seen by its own light. 2. Because we bring not such an implanted suitableness of reason to scripture, as we do to other sciences in which the principles are exactly consonant to the ingraffed notions of the mind-therefore, to proportion the eye of the soul to the light of the word, there is required an act of the spirit opening the eyes, and drawing away the vail, that we may discern the voice of Christ from strangers: for having the mind of Christ, we do, according to the measure of his spirit in us, judge of divine truths as he did.

But here again they' object, That we make all religion hang upon a private spirit. To which we say, 1. That every true believer hath the spirit of Christ. (Rom. viii. 9) 2. That spirit doth enable to know and to judge; (1 Cor. ii. 12,

f Andrad. de Concil. gen. 1. 1. fol. 49. 1. 2. fol. 123. Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. . 4. c. 3. Stapleton, princ. fidei doctr. controv. 4. q. 2. et contr. 3. q. 1. in proœmio. Greg. de Val. tom. 3. disp. 1. q. 1. p. 7. q. 5. sect. 28-37. 8 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. 2 Pet. i. 19. b Theodor. de curand. Græc. Affect. 1. 8. Aug, de i 1 Cor. ii. 14. John i. 5. 2 Cor. iii. 18.

doet. Christ. 1. 2. cap. 8. 1. 1. 1 Cor. xii. 7, 8. 1 Cor. ii. 10. John xiv. 21. Ephes. i. 17. ki Cor. ii. 16. 1 Bellar. de ver. Dei, l. 3. c. 3. Stapleton, de princip. doct. controv. 2. q. 2.-Dr. Jo. White's Way, p. 50—66. Jun. in Bellar. de interpret. verbi. 1. 3, c. 3.-Dr. Jackson, of Scripture. 1. 2. sect. 3. c. 6. sect. 3.

1 John iv. 13) for believers have Judicium Discretionis,' as the men of Berea, to try the things which are taught them. (Acts xvii. 11) 3. That this spirit, though in a private man, yet is not a private spirit, because not originally from that man: as my money, though private in regard of my property to it, yet it is public in regard of the currentness of it. The church by her ministers, hath the ordinary public power of expounding scriptures, but not power to lead the people to subscribe to such expositions as peremptory and infallible; for they have a spirit of discerning, to prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.

The sum of all is ;-There are differences in the church, in matters of religion: The removing of them is to be expected from divine revelation. God reveals it by three concurrent means: Ministerialiter,' by the service of the ministry; Judicialiter,' by the sentence of the word; Efficaciter,' by the illumination of the spirit, healing all that folly, inadvertency, unbelief, impenitency, proud and contumacious reasonings, whereby the carnal mind is not only indisposed to receive, but armed also to resist the truth. And thus we having by God's spirit an eye, the word having in itself an evidence, and the ministry directing this eye to this evidence; so much of God's counsel is discovered, as is necessary unto faith and holiness here, and to salvation hereafter.

And our Saviour telleth us, that this revelation is not always to the wise and prudent (though learning sanctified be an excellent help thereunto) but unto Babes; (Matth. xi. 25) whereby are noted two preparative dispositions unto the receiving of divine truth. 1. Humility, and tractableness of spirit, a meek and docile temper: The poor receive the gos pel. 2. Spiritual hungering after the sincere milk of the word; praying and crying for the knowledge thereof, that we may grow thereby.

The second means for healing divisions in the church, is to have an εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν, some κοινόπιστα, some fundamental doctrines wherein all agree: this is the basis of unity and concord in the church. ancients call it the rule of

The

John vii. 48. 1 Cor. i. 19, 20. Vid. Camero. in Mat. 18, 2. to. 2. p. 320, 324.—Jackson, of Script. 1. 2. sect. c. c. 3. sect. 9.—Melch. Canus in loc. Theol. L. 12. c. 11. Irenæus 1. 1. c. 3. Naz. Or. 14, 40. Aug. Enchirid. c. 7. Tertul. de præscript. c. 13, 14. de Veland. Virgin. c. 1. Athanas. in Symbol. Irenæus, 1. 1. c. 1. Aug. ep. 57. Vid. Parker de descens. 1. 4. c. 3.

faith, seed of doctrine, the catholic faith, the character of the church, that which is common to small and great. St. Paul, the foundation, the form of sound words, the principle of doctrine, the faith of the gospel, the unity of faith, the mystery of godliness, the rule by which we are to walk. And these fundamentals are of three sorts. 1. Fundamentals in faith, that knowledge of God and Christ, unto which eternal life is annexed. (John xvii. 3. John viii. 24. Acts iv. 11, 12. 1 Cor. i. 23, and ii. 2, 3, 11) 2. Fundamentals in practice, viz. repentance from dead works, sincere obedience, self-denial, love of the brethren, &c. (Luke xiii. 5. Matth. v. 19, 20. Rom. vi. 1, 2. Rom. viii. 1. Matth. xvi. 24. 1 John iii. 14) 3. Fundamentals in worship, to worship God in spirit and in truth, to call upon God in the name of Christ, as our advocate and propitiation; not to worship creatures, but to hold the head, to keep ourselves from idols, and communion with devils. (John iv. 24. Phil. iii. 3. John xvi. 23. Col. iii. 17. Col. ii. 18, 19)

Where there is agreement in these fundamentals, there is, 1. A fair way unto discovery of truth, in the things of difference for where true principles are laid, there is a great preparation unto all true conclusions deducible from them; and the more clearly we understand the comprehensions and latitude of these principles, (which are 'Omnium Doctrinarum Matrix,') the more skill we have to discern the genuine deduction of true conclusions, and the inconsistency of those which are false and spurious: for matters of division are to be measured by the doctrines which we have learned. (Rom. xvi. 17) We must not suffer any doctrine to corrupt our judgement or enthral our consciences, which doth, either directly or by visible and just consequence, overturn, or wrench, or shake, or endanger the foundation. We must not do with doctrines in religion, as, Herodotus saith, the Babylonians did with their virgins,-sell the fair ones, to raise portions for the foul; plead agreement in fundamentals, for prevarication in other things: for the rule is made to rectify other errors by, not to warrant them. They who consent not in this necessary disposition to peace, but will have all

a

i 1 Cor. iii. 10, 11. 2 Tim. i. 13. Col. i. 23. Ephes. iv. 13. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Gal. i. 6. Rom. vi. 17. xii. 6. 2 Tim. i. 13, 14. 1 Cor. ii. 2. 1 Tim. vi. 3. Tit. i. 1. Phil. i. 27. Rev. xiv. 12. a In Clio.