A30579:97
Gospel-conversation
Gospel-conversation: wherein is showed, I. How the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. II. Beyond those that lived under the law. III. And suitable to what truths the Gospel holds forth. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to Stepney and Cripplegate, London. Being the third book published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nigh, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.Gospel-conversation: wherein is shewed, I. How the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. II. Beyond those that lived under the law. III. And suitable to what truths the Gospel holds forth. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to Stepney and Criplegate, London. Being the third book published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nye, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1650
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.
3. Arg. A third motive is this, There are some things that you cannot but do, that will displease wicked men, if you will act according to your Principles. Well, but this should make thee so much the more careful of thy Conversation in all other things, that so wicked men may be convinced, that if such men do some things that I do not understand, yet surely it is for some thing that God hath made known to them more than to me, for I find this, that in all things that I do understand there they walk exactly, therefore though there be some things that they do that I cannot understand, why should I be enraged against them? As now in point of institution of Worship, which doth not depend upon the light of Nature at all, but merely upon Scripture, and such and such interpretations of Scripture; and such principles wicked men have no skill in: Now the professors of Religion they are tied up by institution, and by the words of Scripture thus interpreted, which they think in their consciences is the truth, they having compared all things together think this is the mind of Christ rather than the other, and so long as they think thus they must follow it: Now there's many of these things that carnal men understand not, (for they take no pains to search into them) and therefore they will be angry with you for them; and indeed they will have cause to be angry with you for those things they understand not, if they see you make no conscience of those things that they understand; but if in other things that they do understand you walk circumspectly, and that it ⟨p. 22⟩appear to them that in those things they understand they walk conscionably, then they will believe that it was mere conscience that made you differ from them in those things which they understood not, or had no skill in; this will make them ready to stand for you, yea to speak and plead for you (no such way to get true liberty of conscience as this is) if you be careful to walk blamelessly in all those things that they understand with whom you converse; they will be convinced in their consciences that if these men differ from us, it's conscience that makes them differ, for (say they) we find that in all those things we understand these men walk conscionably.
3. Arg. A third motive is this, There are some things that you cannot but do, that will displease wicked men, if you will act according to your Principles. Well, but this should make thee so much the more careful of thy Conversation in all other things, that so wicked men may be convinc'd, that if such men do some things that I do not understand, yet surelie it is for some thing that God hath made known to them more than to me, for I find this, that in all things that I do understand there they walk exactly, therfore though there be some things that they do that I cannot understand, why should I be enraged against them? As now in point of institution of Worship, which doth not depend upon the light of Nature at all, but meerly upon Scripture, and such and such interpretations of Scripture; and such principles wicked men have no skill in: Now the professors of Religion they are tyed up by institution, and by the words of Scripture thus interpreted, which they think in their consciences is the truth, they having compared all things together think this is the mind of Christ rather than the other, and so long as they think thus they must follow it: Now there's many of these things that carnal men understand not, (for they take no pains to search into them) and therefore they will be angry with you for them; and indeed they will have cause to be angry with you for those things they understand not, if they see you make no conscience of those things that they understand; but if in other things that they do understand you walk circumspectly, and that it