A39674:136
Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and…
Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and remedies of mental errors written some months since, and now made public, both for the healing and prevention of the sins and calamities which have broken in this way upon the churches of Christ, to the great scandal of religion, hardening of the wicked, and obstruction of Reformation : whereunto are subjoined by way of appendix : I. Vindiciarum vindex, being a succinct, but full answer to Mr. Philip Cary's weak and impertinent exceptions to my Vindiciæ legis & fæderis, II. a synopsis of ancient and modern Antinomian errors, with scriptural arguments and reasons against them, III. a sermon composed for the preventing and healing of rents and divisions in the churches of Christ / by John Flavell ... ; with an epistle by several divines, relating to Dr. Crisp's works.Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and remedies of mental errors written some months since, and now made publick, both for the healing and prevention of the sins and calamities which have broken in this way upon the churches of Christ, to the great scandal of religion, hardening of the wicked, and obstruction of Reformation : whereunto are subjoined by way of appendix : I. Vindiciarum vindex, being a succinct, but full answer to Mr. Philip Cary's weak and impertinent exceptions to my Vindiciæ legis & fæderis, II. a synopsis of ancient and modern Antinomian errors, with scriptural arguments and reasons against them, III. a sermon composed for the preventing and healing of rents and divisions in the churches of Christ / by John Flavell ... ; with an epistle by several divines, relating to Dr. Crisp's works.
London: printed by R. Roberts for Tho. Cockerill, 1691
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.
Antiquity is a venerable word, but ill used, when made a cloak for Error. Truth must needs be elder than Error, as the Rule must necessarily be, before the aberration from it. The grey hairs of Opinions are then only Beauty, and a Crown, when found in the way of Righteousness. Copper (saith Learned Dumoulin) will never become Gold by Age. A Lye will be a Lye, let it be never so ancient. We dispute not by Years, but by Reasons drawn from Scripture. That which is now called an Ancient Opinion, if it be not a true Opinion, was once but a new Error. When you can tell us how many years are required to turn an Error into Truth, then we will give more heed to Antiquity, when pressed in the service of Error, than we now think due to it.
Antiquity is a venerable word, but ill used, when made a cloak for Error. Truth must needs be elder than Error, as the Rule must necessarily be, before the ab•rration from it. The gray hairs of Opinions are then only Beauty, and a Crown, when found in the way of Righteousness. Copper (saith Learned Dumoulin) will never become Gold by Age. A Lye will be a Lye, let it be never so ancient. We dispute not by Years, but by Reasons drawn from Scripture. That which is now call'd an Ancient Opinion, if it be not a true Opinion, was once but a new Error. When you can tell us how many years are required to turn an Error into Truth, then we will give more heed to Antiquity, when press'd in the service of Error, than we now think due to it.
If Antiquity will not do, Reason shall be pressed to serve Error's turn at a dead lift; and indeed the Pencil of Reason can lay curious Colours upon rotten Timber, ⟨p. 24⟩and varnish over erroneous Principles with fair and plausible pretences. What expert Artists have the Socinians proved themselves in this matter? But because men are bound to submit human Authority and Reason to Divine Revelation, both must give way and strike sail to the Written Word.
If Antiquity will not do, Reason shall be press'd to serve Error's turn at a dead lift; and indeed the Pencil of Reason can lay curions Colours upon rotten Timber,