A30242:981
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.
12. Ignorance and weakness of judgement. And truly this is the most innocent cause of errors, when men through ignorance and weakness go in a false way; yet this doth not excuse. For Peter saith, Even ignorant men wrest the Scripture to their own destruction, 2 Pet. 3.16 Though ignorant or unlearned men, yet that will not excuse them. Thus the Disciples through weakness of •heir faith and knowledge manifested very gross errors about Christ and his Office, till they were endowed with the Spirit of God from above. And where there is a cordial and plain desire to know the truth, they study, they read, they pray, they do conscientiously make use of all means God hath appointed: for t•at is a great matter to make use of all means; what one opinion saith as well as another; what one Text saith as well as another; such (I say) as those are to be tenderly handled, Rom. 15. Him that is weak, [Greek or Hebrew], receive him lovingly. In this case, Saeviant illi, qui nesciunt, quantis gemitibus vel tantillum datur intelligere de vero, as Austin of old. When it's not obstinacy, perverseness, but mere ignorance; and thou doest instantly day and night pray to God, using all means; this doth greatly extenuate, though not totally excuse; thy blindness may make thee fall in the ditch, and God will have all this ignorance manifested to thee sometime or other it may be.
12. Ignorance and weaknesse of judgement. And truly this is the most innocent cause of errours, when men through ignorance and weaknesse go in a false way; yet this doth not excuse. For Peter saith, Even ignorant men wrest the Scripture to their own destruction, 2 Pet. 3.16 Though ignorant or unlearned men, yet that will not excuse them. Thus the Disciples through weaknesse of •heir faith and knowledge manifested very grosse errours about Christ and his Office, till they were endowed with the Spirit of God from above. And where there is a cordial and plain desire to know the truth, they sudy, they reade, they pray, they do conscientiously make use of all means God hath appointed: for tat is a great matter to make use of all means; what one opinion saith as well as another; what one Tex saith as well as another; such (I say) as those are to be tenderly handled,