A30242:271
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Apostle in this phrase, To live as men, or, According to man, 1may imply these things:
- 1What is implied in this phrase, To live as men.
First, Mere men have no divine faith in the matters of Religion, wrought in them by the Spirit of God, but walk according to the natural dictates of conscience and education, and so are for that Religion which they have been brought up in, and accustomed to, whether it be right or wrong, whether good or bad. This our Saviour cleareth, when Peter made that excellent Confession of Faith, That Christ was the Son of God; our Saviour graciously accepts of it, and tells him, Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to him, Mat. 16.17. So that then, men walk as men in all matters of Religion; when they have no more than custom, or the countenance of the Laws of the Land, where they live, no more than flesh and blood hath made known to them. Thus we see the Jews, the Turks, the Papists; they all wilfully adhere to the Religion, they have been used to; and so many Christians, believe in Christ, upon no better grounds than they do in their falsehoods. Be not then any longer such men, and servants of men, as the Apostle calls it; that is, to believe the truths of Religion upon humane authority, humane motives. That our Saviour meaneth, when he bids us, Call no man master on earth, because Christ is the only Master, Mat. 23.8. Not that the instruction and teaching of Church officers is to be rejected (as some absurdly would infer from those places) for we are commanded to hear them, and to enquire for the truth at their mouth; only it's not a divine faith, till it be upon divine grounds; Not as the word of men, but as the word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. It's a sad thing to consider, how many walk as men in this respect, being in matter of Religion, without any eyes of their own, as if another mans faith were to justify them, and not their own!