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Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and…

Name: Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and…
Author: John Flavel

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.

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Remedy II.

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Let young Converts and weak Christians look carefully to themselves by an heedful attendance unto the following Truths.

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First, It is not safe to try, nor upon trial likely that you should find Christ in one way, and comfort in another. God doth not usually bless those ways to mens comfort and edification, into which they turn aside from that good way wherein they first met with Christ and Conversion. The same Ministry and Ordinances which are appointed and blessed for the one, are likewise appointed, and commonly blessed for the other, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13.

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Secondly, 'Tis a manifest Snare of the Devil (and you may easily discern it) to take you off from the great Work you are newly engaged in, by entangling your minds in Notions that are foreign to it. ⟨p. 151⟩Your hearts are now warm with God, Satan labours this way to cool and quench them: the cunning Cheat labours to steal away the sweet and nutritive Food which is before you, and lay the hard and dry Bones of barren Controversies and insipid Notions in their room. Your business is not to frame Syllogisms, or study Solutions to cunning Arguments about lower and lesser matters, so much as it is by Prayer and Self-examination, to clear your Interest in Christ, and to solve those doubts that lie with weight upon your Spirits, with reference to that great Concern.

Secondly, 'Tis a manifest Snare of the Devil (and you may easily discern it) to take you off from the great Work you are newly engaged in, by entangling your minds in Notions that are for•ign to it. ⟨p. 151⟩Your hearts are now warm with God, Satan labours this way to cool and quench them: the cunning Cheat labours to steal away the sweet and nutritive Food which is before you, and lay the hard and dry Bones of barren Controversies and insipid Notions in their room. Your business is not to frame Syllogisms, or study Solutions to cunning Arguments about lower and lesser matters, so much as it is by Prayer and Self-examination, to clear your Interest in Christ, and to solve those doubts that lie with weight upon your Spirits, with reference to that great Concern.

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Thirdly, 'Tis a sad thing to grieve the hearts of those faithful Ministers that have travelled in pain for us, and rejoiced in our Conversion as the Seal of their Ministry. Oh, serve not your godly Ministers, as the Hen is sometimes served that hath long brooded, brought forth, and with much care and self-denial nourished up young Partridges, which as soon as fledged, take the wing, and return no more to her.

Thirdly, 'Tis a sad thing to grieve the hearts of those faithful Ministers that have travelled in pain for us, and rejoyced in our Conversion as the Seal of their Ministry. Oh, serve not your godly Ministers, as the Hen is sometimes served that hath long brooded, brought forth, and with much care and selfdenial nourished up young Partridges, which as soon as fledged, take the wing, and return no more to her.

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Cause XVI.

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There is yet another Artifice of false Teachers to draw Men into Errors, and ⟨p. 152⟩that is, by pressing the Consciences of those they have made some impressions upon, unto all HASTE and SPEED, openly to declare their new Opinions, and avow and own them before the World; as knowing that this will rivet and fix them to all intents and purposes.

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When they find Men under half Convictions, and strong inclinations to their way, they are sure then to ply them with a thick succession of Motives and Arguments, to join themselves by a free and open profession, to that erroneous Party which are headed by themselves.

When they find Men under half Convictions, and strong inclinations to their way, they are sure then to ply them with a thick succession of Motives and Arguments, to joyn themselves by a free and open profession, to that erroneous Party which are headed by themselves.

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And the Arguments usually pressed to this purpose are, 1. The danger of delay. 2. The comfort of declaring themselves.

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First, They press them with the danger of the least delay, by telling them, That now they must live every day and hour in known sin, and hold the truth of God in unrighteousness, the evil whereof they skilfully aggravate; and the more tender and sensible the Conscience is, the deeper impressions such discourses make, although the Case, indeed, will not bear the weight they lay upon it, as having not that due allowance God ⟨p. 153⟩gives of time and means of full information in matters of this nature; yea, possibly driving them into as great a snare by precipitation, and too hasty engagements under a Doubting Conscience.

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Secondly, They press them to a quick resolution, with the expectations of abundance of comfort, inward peace and joy, which will result from a full engagement of themselves, and open declaration of their Judgment; proselyting to a Party, being the main design they drive at.

Secondly, They press them to a quick resolution, with the expectations of abundance of comfort, inward peace and joy, which will result from a full engagement of themselves, and open declaration of their Judgment; proseliting to a Party, being the main design they drive at.

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This was the very Art and Method by which Satan prevailed with Eve to swallow the bait, Gen. 3. 5. For God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. q. d. The sooner thou tastest, the better; for the first taste will give thee a God-like knowledge, and marvellous advancement of thy understanding; Didst thou but know the benefit that would accrue to thee thereby, thou wouldst not delay one moment. And thus by setting before her the speedy and immediate benefits of eating, he prevailed, and drew her into the fatal snare.

This was the very Art and Method by which Satan prevailed with Eve to swallow the bait, Gen. 3. 5. For God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. q. d. The sooner thou tastest, the better; for the first taste will give thee a God-like knowledg, and marvellous advancement of thy understanding; Didst thou but know the benefit that would accrue to thee thereby, thou would'st not delay one moment. And thus by setting before her the speedy and immediate benefits of eating, he prevailed, and drew her into the fatal snare.

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In this the Ministers of Satan imitate the Ministers of Christ: As these press Men to make haste to Christ, lest by consulting with flesh and blood, and listening to the temptations of Satan, hopeful inclinations should be blasted in the bud; so the others push Men on to hasty resolutions, lest by hearkening to the voice of God's Spirit and their own Consciences, the design they have so far advanced should be lost and disappointed. The Ministers of Christ urge Men to a speedy change of their Company, and to associate themselves with spiritual and profitable Christians, as well knowing of what great use this will be to confirm and strengthen them in the ways of God. So Errorists in like manner vehemently urge them to associate with their Party, as knowing how one wedges in and fixes another in the ways of Error; for such Causes Satan pushes on half-convictions into hasty resolutions, quick dispatch being his great advantage. This the Apostle intimates, Gal. 1. 6. I marvel (saith he) that ye are so soon removed, &c. [Greek or Hebrew], what so soon! yes, if it had not been so soon, it might never have been at all; for Errors (as one ingeniously observes) like Fish, must ⟨p. 155⟩be eaten fresh and new, or they'll quickly stink.

In this the Ministers of Satan imitate the Ministers of Christ: As these press Men to make haste to Christ, lest by consulting with flesh and blood, and listening to the temptations of Satan, hopeful inclinations should be blasted in the bud; so the others push Men on to hasty resolutions, lest by hearkening to the voice of God's Spirit and their own Consciences, the design they have so far advanced should be lost and disappointed. The Ministers of Christ urge Men to a speedy change of their Company, and to associate themselves with spiritual and profitable Christians, as well knowing of what great use this will be to confirm and strengthen them in the ways of God. So Errorists in like manner vehemently urge them to associate with their Party, as knowing how one wedges in and fixes another in the ways of Error; for such Causes Satan pushes on half-convictions into hasty resolutions, quick dispatch being his great advantage. This the Apostle intimates, Gal. 1. 6. I marvel (saith he) that ye are so soon removed, &c. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, what so soon! yes, if it had not been so soon, it might never have been at all; for Errors (as one ingeniously observes) like Fish, must

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The Cure, or Remedy.

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The Remedies and Preventatives in this Case, are such as follow:

Position

Cited: :527
On this page: :525–539
Section: :525–529
Whole work: 1,120 passages

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John Flavel, Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and… (London, 1691), subsect. 2, p. 150. EEBO-TCP A39674.

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The book

Title as printed: 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.
Author: John Flavel 1630?–1691
Place: London
Printer: R. Roberts
Bookseller: Tho. Cockerill
Year: 1691
Size: [48], 448 p.
Words: 94,468
Catalogue: Wing F1175 · ESTC R21865
Text: EEBO-TCP A39674

Passages: 1,120
Sections: 211

Title page

The author

John Flavel 1630?–1691

PuritansEngland

Minister at Dartmouth, Devon.

Transcription key

•: an illegible letter
〈…〉: illegible words
〈non-Latin alphabet〉: Greek or Hebrew the transcribers did not key
▪: illegible punctuation
⟨p. 12⟩: a page break in the printed book

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

Remedy II.

Cause XVI.

The Cure, or Remedy.