More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

§. 17. When Paul fore-told the Ephesians of two sorts that would assault them, viz. Grievous devouring wolves, and men arising among themselves that would speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them, his conclusion is [Therefore watch]: And what that watching is he tells Timothy, The mouths of such deceivers must be stopped: not by force, for that Timothy ⟨p. 193⟩had no power to do; but by evident truth. And Truth hath a power in its evidence, if it be but rightly opened and managed. And were it not that God in all ages had enabled some of his servants, faithfully and clearly to vindicate truth, and defend sound doctrine, and hold fast the form of wholesome words, and stop the mouth of ignorant pride that wrangleth against them, what had become of us long ago? And though ill disputes have done much mischief, and too often disputing succeedeth more according to the Parts, interests or advantages of the Disputers, than according to the evidence of truth: Yet for all such abuses, Truth must be defended, and it findeth something even in nature (as bad as man is) to befriend it; few love a plain falsehood, unless where interest greatly bribeth them: And upon trial Truth will at last prevail, where sin doth not provoke God in judgement to leave men to the delusions which they choose.

§. 17. When Paul fore-told the Ephesians of two sorts that would assault them, viz. Grievous devouring wolves, and men arising among themselves that would speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them, his conclusion is [Therefore watch]: And what that watching is he tells Timothy, The mouths of such deceivers must be stopped: not by force, for that Timothy ⟨p. 193⟩had no power to do; but by evident truth. And Truth hath a power in its evidence, if it be but rightly opened and managed. And were it not that God in all ages had enabled some of his servants, faithfully and clearly to vindicate truth, and defend sound doctrine, and hold fast the form of wholesome words, and stop the mouth of ignorant pride that wrangleth against them, what had become of us long agoe? And though ill disputes have done much mischief, and too often disputing succedeth more according to the Parts, interests or advantages of the Disputers, than according to the evidence of truth: Yet for all such abuses, Truth must be defended, and it findeth something even in nature (as bad as man is) to befriend it; few love a plain falshood, unless where interest greatly bribeth them: And upon tryal Truth will at last prevail, where sin doth not provoke God in judgement to leave men to the delusions which they chuse.