The up shot of all is that we ought to hold fast the profession ⟨p. 141⟩of our faith without wavering, and be steadfast and even unmoveable in the truth, and not to give place to the adversaries, no not for an hour, Gal: 2, 4, 5. I do not mean pertinacy in the least error, nor a vain presumptuous overweening conceit of our knowledge, to make us despise any Light which others may give us from Scripture: Pertinacy is an evil upon the one hand, and to be too tenacious of our own opinions. But that [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew], that Levity, inconstancy, wavering, Scepticism is an evil upon the other hand, 2 Thess: 2, 2, be not soon shaken in mind, &c. And this is the Epidemical disease of the Sectaries of this time, which I have now been labouring to cure, their word is yea and nay, and not unlike to that which Sallust objected to Cicero, that he said one thing sitting, another thing standing, yet it may be sometimes observed that these who are the greatest Sceptics and Pyrrhonians in reference to the common and received tenets, are the most pertinacious and tenacious in Tenets invented by themselves. I have read it observed of Socinus, that as he set at nought Fathers, counsels, and the whole current of ancient and modern interpreters of Scripture, so vain glory made him to maintain stiffly and tenaciously any opinion or invention of his own, as if he had been infallible, men are sooner drawn from truth then from error. Some are unstable in the truth, and unstable in error too, you may find among them annuas atque menstruas fides (to use Hilary's phrase) they are of a new faith, and a new religion, every year, if not every Month. Remember Reubens reproach, Gen, 49. 4. unstable as water, thou shall not excel. One sort of the Sectaries there is indeed, which will not engage to hold any thing, but are known by believing nothing, these pass now under the name of Seekers: yet if one of the ancient Fathers, or of the Reformers themselves who lived an hundred years ago, were now alive, they could tell us that these Seekers▪ were in their days called Atheists, and in deed what ⟨p. 142⟩other name is due to these Nullifidians who are of no Religion?
The up shot of all is that we ought to hold fast the profession ⟨p. 141⟩of our faith without wavering, and be stedfast and even unmoveable in the truth, and not to give place to the adversaries, no not for an houre, Gal: 2, 4, 5. I do not mean pertinacy in the least error, nor a vain presumptuous overveening conceit of our knowledge, to make us despise any Light which others may give us from Scripture: Pertinacy is an evill upon the one hand, and to be too tenacious of our own opinions. But that 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, that Levity, inconstancy, wavering, Scepticisme is an evill upon the other hand, 2 Thess: 2, 2, be not soone shaken in minde, &c. And this is the Epidemicall disease of the Sectaries of this time, which I have now been labouring to cure, their word is yea and nay, and not unlike to that which Salust objected to Cicero, that he said one thing sitting, another thing standing, yet it may be sometimes observed that these who are the greatest Sceptiks and Pyrrhonians in reference to the common and received tenents, are the most pertinacious and tenacious in Tenents invented by themselves. I have read it observed of Socinus, that as he set at nought Fathers, counsels, and the whole current of ancient and moderne interpreters of Scripture, so vain glory made him to maintaine stiffely and tenaciously any opinion or invention of his owne, as if he had been infallible, men are sooner drawne from truth then from error. Some are unstable in the truth, and unstable in error too, you may finde among them annuas atque menstruas fides (to use Hilaries phrase) they are of a new faith, and a new religion, every year, if not every Moneth. Remember Reubens reproach, Gen, 49. 4. unstable as water, thou shall not excell. One sort of the Sectaries there is indeed, which will not ingage to hold any thing, but are known by believing nothing, these passe now under the name of Seekers: yet if one of the ancient Fathers, or of the Reformers themselves who lived an hundreth years agoe, were now alive, they could tell us that these Seekers▪ were in their dayes called Atheists, and in deed what ⟨p. 142⟩other name is due to these Nullifidians who are of no Religion?
