CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

7. It's not therefore enough for a man to believe as others believe, or as the Church believeth, without some personal or explicate knowledge of his own;¹ He doth not say, It's Eternal life to know that others know, To believe that others believe, but he that would have eternal life, he himself must know the true God and Christ; So that this doth palpably condemn that strange but politic doctrine maintained in the Church of Rome, That the common people need no more faith then this, to believe as the Church believeth, Politic I call it, for hereby they keep the people in a blind obedience, They ⟨p. 76⟩receive any kind of worship, any kind of doctrine, without trial or comparing it by the Scripture, and thus they commend darkness, because their deeds are evil; But the Apostles Exhortation is to all private persons as well as others, Prove all things, 1 Thes. 5.21. Believe not every spirit, 1 Joh. 4.1. Let the Word of God dwell plentifully in you, Col. 3.16. Indeed it cannot be denied but that God hath appointed Officers and Guides in the Church, and the people are commanded to hear them, and to submit to them, but all this is to be understood as Paul saith, Follow me, even as I do Jesus Christ. Phil. 3.17. We must take heed of extreme errors either to make the Ministry infallible, or else to account of it as nothing at all; No, there is a peculiar promise of assistance and direction to thee in their work, though not of infallibility, but this by the way to comm•nd ignorance, to praise blind obedience and devotion, is to offer God a Sacrifice without eyes: Do not then think, I am a poor ignorant man, I have no leisure to mind Religion, to enquire after the principles thereof; Let those that have learning mind such things, What is this but to say, It's not for me to look to salvation; It's not for me to be saved; It's for Learned men and knowing men to go to heaven, not for such as I am, certainly our voices are to sound like the Angels Trumpet at the day of judgement, to awaken men out of their ignorance, Men in the dark are usually afraid: Oh then why shouldst not thou be afraid who art all over darkness,