The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

To apply all this, It may be you are in doubt whether this or the other be the meaning of such a text of scripture? Or whether you should join with such a Church, in the use of such preaching and prayers or not? And when you have prayed earnestly, you are confirmed for one way and against the other. And perhaps all this is but to be confirmed in your error: For first, you came with a secret prejudice; secondly, or you came with distempered affections; or with such a fear of going one way rather than the other, that the very fear doth much to cause your apprehensions. Thirdly, or you come with the guilt of former sin. Fourthly, or you have some partiality on your spirit, and a secret inclination to one side more than to the other; or some overvaluing of your own understandings, persons or prayers. Fifthly, Or you are lazy and presumptuous; and think God must teach you that in one hour, and at a wish or prayer, which others better than you must learn with prayer and twenty years study, diligence and patience. Sixthly, or you think God must needs resolve you of that which he never promised to resolve you in. Where hath he promised upon all your prayers, that ever he will teach you in this life the sense of every text of Scripture? If ever he promised this he will perform it. And is it to One Christian, or to every praying Christian that he hath promised it? If to every one, why are we not all of a mind? Why be not all as wise as you? What need we Commentaries ⟨p. 158⟩[…] ⟨p. 159⟩[…] ⟨p. 160⟩then? Or what need have others of your Revelations: If it be but to some, who be those some? And how shall we know them? And how know you that you are one of them? And why do not those some, condescend to write an infallible Commentary upon all the Bible, when they themselves are taught it of God, that so we may doubt and differ no more?

To apply all this, It may be you are in doubt whether this or the other be the meaning of such a text of scripture? Or whether you should joyn with such a Church, in the use of such preaching and prayers or not? And when you have prayed earnestly, you are confirmed for one way and against the other. And perhaps all this is but to be confirmed in your errour: For first, you came with a secret prejudice; secondly, or you came with distempered affections; or with such a fear of going one way rather than the other, that the very fear doth much to cause your apprehensions. Thirdly, or you come with the gnilt of former sin. Forthly, or you have some partiality on your spirit, and a secret inclination to one side more than to the other; or some overvaluing of your own understandings, persons or prayers. Fifthly, Or you are lazy and presumptuous; and think God must teach you that in one hour, and at a wish or prayer, which others better than you must learn with prayer and twenty years study, diligence and patience. Sixthly, or you think God must needs resolve you of that which he never promised to resolve you in. Where hath he promised upon all your prayers, that ever he will teach you in this life the sense of every text of Scripture? If ever he promised this he will perform it. And is it to One Christian, or to every praying Christian that he hath promised it? If to every one, why are we not all of a mind? Why be not all as wise as you? What need we Commentaries