May you therefore be pleased here to take notice of that which you observe, 1as a clear difference between truth and falsehood, between Christs institutions and mens inventions. Whatsoever God will have us to do or not to do, he lays down the same openly, 2precisely, manifestly. All the words of his mouth, are plain to him that understandeth. The Spirit speaketh expressly, &c. that the truth is simple and plain. Ethnics by the light of nature, could sufficiently see into such things, one of them touching this matter saith thus, The truth is simple and plain, and needs not variety of windlasses. Another of them hath these words, That phrase or form of speaking hath truth in it, 3which is common and used of all, having in it nothing craftily devised, neither cloaking some other thing than is professed. Contrariwise when Satan speaketh by his instruments, he speaketh so ambiguously, and cloakedly, that one knoweth not how to take it, nor which way to apply it. And so you go on in many words to the like purpose, which if you will apply to your own manner of disputing and alleging testimonies, You shall discover your self to be the deceiver, who affect ambiguous and equivocal speeches, and seek by mists, and fogs of strange and unusual arguments and sentences wrested to a contrary sense, to blind the eyes, and puzzle the understanding of the simple. For you hide your self under the terms of, false •••ch, false ministry, false Prophets, false worship, flying from […] latry, taking heed of idols, &c. which you have taken u••n a peculiar sense; and running along in that strain, you pervert the Scriptures, wrong Authors, confound things to be distinguished, dispute sophistically: and whiles you boast of clear proof, divine precepts, example and practice of forefathers, from the first age of the world hitherto, positions holden in all Schools, written in all books, preached every day in Sermons, taught in all Churches, you do only raise a dust to dazzle the eye: for let the matter be looked into, and you have neither precept divine, nor example of godly forefather to justify your separation. What you teach hath been evermore ⟨p. 89⟩condemned in Schools, cried down in Sermons, disallowed in all Churches of the Saints, from the very beginning to this day.
May you therefore be pleased here to take notice of that which you observe, 1as a cleare difference betweene truth and falshood, betweene Christs iustitutions and mens inventions. Whatsoever God will have us to doe or not to doe, hee layes downe the same openly, 2precisely, manifestly. All the words of his mouth, are plaine to him that understandeth. The Spirit speaketh expresly, &c. that the truth is simple and plaine. Ethnicks by the light of nature, could sufficiently see into such things, one of them touching this matter saith thus, The truth is simple and plaine, and needs not varietie of windlaces. Another of them hath these words, That phrase or form of speaking hath truth in it, 3which is common and used of all, having in it nothing craftily devised, neither cloaking some other thing than is professed. Contrariwise when Satan speaketh by his instruments, he speaketh so ambignously, and cloakedly, that one knoweth not how to take it, nor which way to apply it. And so you goe on in many words to the like purpose, which if you will apply to your owne manner of disputing and alledging testimonies, You shall discover your selfe to be the deceiver, who affect ambiguous and equivocall speeches, and seeke by mists, and fogs of strange and unusuall arguments and sentences wrested to a contrary sense, to blinde the eyes, and puzzell the understanding of the simple. For you hide your selfe under the termes of, false •••ch, false ministery, false Prophets, false worship, flying from 〈…〉 latry, taking heed of idols, &c. which you have taken u••n a peculiar sense; and running along in that straine, you pervert the Scriptures, wrong Authors, consound things to be distinguished, dispute sophistically: and whiles you boast of cleare proofe, divine precepts, example and practice of forefathers, from the first age of the world hitherto, positions holden in all Schooles, written in all books, preached every day in Sermons, taught in all Churches, you doe only raise a dust to daisle the eye: for let the matter be looked into, and you have neither precept divine, nor example of godly forefather to justifie your separation. What you teach hath beene evermore ⟨p. 89⟩condemned in Schooles, cryed downe in Sermons, disallowed in all Churches of the Saints, from the very beginning to this day.
- 1CAN Stay. ag. §. 4. p. 33, 34.
- 2Prov. 8.7 1 Timothy 4.1
- 3Cyp. Epist. ad Pomcont. Epist. Stepha. It cometh of too much presumption and frowardness, that a man had rather defend his own, though it be false and nought, than yield to anothers deeds and words. Resist not truth to maintain your credit, God will surely revenge it, Bilson differing, part 1, page 69. Contigit saepe ut idem pastor sit vero pastor, & non sit vere postor secundum vocationē ligitimam; non vere pastor, scundum administrationem, operationemque ipsius. Hieron. ad Heliodor. Non omnes Episcopi sunt episcopi: attende Petrum, sed Judam considera Grat. 2. q. 7. c. Non omnes. Ecclesia aliquandt visibiiis est, non tantum cum defectibus multis in doctrina, disciplina, sacramentis, & administrandi ratione, sed etiam cum variis impuris misturis: ita ut Ecclesia sit visibilis, cum tamen ecclesia ralis, quaew in omnibus sequituto possimus sit invifibilis. Ames Bellar, enerv. tom. 2, lib. de Eccles.Cyp. Epist. ad Pomcont. Epist. Stepha. It commeth of too much presumption and frowardnesse, that a man had rather defend his owne, though it be false and nought, than yeeld to anothers deeds and words. Resist not truth to maintain your credit, God will surely revenge it, Bilson differing, part 1, page 69. Contigit saepe ut idem pastor sit vero pastor, & non sit vere postor secundum vocationē ligitimam; non vere pastor, scundum administrationem, operationemque ipsius. Hieron. ad Heliodor. Non omnes Episcopi sunt episcopi: attende Petrum, sed Iudam considera Grat. 2. q. 7. c. Non omnes. Ecclesia aliquandt visibiiis est, non tantum cum defectibus multis in doctrina, disciplina, sacramentis, & administrandi ratione, sed etiam cum variis impuris misturis: ita ut Ecclesia sit visibilis, cum tamen ecclesia ralis, quaew in omnibus sequituto possimus sit invifibilis. Ames Bellar, enerv. tom. 2, lib. de Eccles.
