(1.) In the Doctrine of Faith. It is a great advantage in the Spiritual Life, to have a sound Judgment: Some Men are never well grounded in the Truth, and in the nature and reasons of that Religion which they do profess, and then are always left to a wandering uncertainty, because they resolve not upon Evidence: as Men ordinarily abide not in the place to which they are driven by a Tempest, or the current of the Tides, rather than by aim and choice, though they take shelter there for the present. 1 Thess. 5.21. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Certainly Religion in the general must be taken up by Choice, and not by Chance; not because ⟨p. 458⟩we know no other, but because we know no better: As Jer. 6.16. Stand ye in the Ways and see, and ask for the old Paths, where is the good Way, and walk therein. And the same is true of particular Opinions and Controversies about Religion, till we have [Greek or Hebrew], our own steadfastness, 2 Pet. 3.17. We stand by the steadfastness of others, when we profess the Truth, merely because of Company; and when the Chain •s broken, we all fall to pieces. Now we ought to be well settled, left we appear to the World with a various Face, which breedeth Atheism in others, and Shame to our selves. It is possible in particular things, future Light may disprove present Practice; but then we must be able to give a very sufficient account of it. Luther, when he was charged with Apostasy, Consitetu• se esse Apostatam, sed beatum & sanctum, qui sidem Diabolo datam non servavit. While we cry up Constancy, we must not cherish stubborn Prejudice, which shuts the Door upon Truth: However▪ to avoid the opinion of Lightness, before Religious Persons profess any thing, their warrant need to be very clear, both for the World's sake and their own, that they may not make needless Troubles, and afterwards change their Mind to the scandalizing of others: And their own sake [Greek or Hebrew], James 1.8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways. ⟨p. 459⟩And we had need to take care to be right, because every error hath an influence upon the Heart, and Practice: Upon the Heart, as it weakeneth Faith and Love, and Practice. Some Opinions have no malignity in themselves, yet the profession of them may divide the Church, and make us by Contentions, Enemies of the growth and progress of Christ's Kingdom.
(1.) In the Doctrine of Faith. It is a great advantage in the Spiritual Life, to have a sound Judgment: Some Men are never well grounded in the Truth, and in the nature and reasons of that Religion which they do profess, and then are always left to a wandering uncertainty, because they resolve not upon Evidence: as Men ordinarily abide not in the place to which they are driven by a Tempest, or the current of the Tides, rather than by aim and choice, though they take shelter there for the present. 1 Thess. 5.21. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Certainly Religion in the general must be taken up by Choice, and not by Chance; not because ⟨p. 458⟩we know no other, but because we know no better: As Jer. 6.16. Stand ye in the Ways and see, and ask for the old Paths, where is the good Way, and walk therein. And the same is true of particular Opinions and Controversies about Religion, till we have 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, our own stedfastness, 2 Pet. 3.17. We stand by the stedfastness of others, when we profess the Truth, meerly because of Company; and when the Chain •s broken, we all fall to pieces. Now we ought to be well settled, left we appear to the World with a various Face, which breedeth Atheism in others, and Shame to our selves. It is possible in particular things, future Light may disprove present Practice; but then we must be able to give a very sufficient account of it. Luther, when he was charged with Apostacy, Consitetu• se esse Apostatam, sed beatum & sanctum, qui sidem Diabolo datam non servavit. While we cry up Constancy, we must not cherish stubborn Prejudice, which shuts the Door upon Truth: However▪ to avoid the opinion of Lightness, before Religious Persons profess any thing, their warrant need to be very clear, both for the World's sake and their own, that they may not make needless Troubles, and afterwards change their Mind to the scandalizing of others: And their own sake 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, James 1.8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways. ⟨p. 459⟩And we had need to take care to be right, because every error hath an influence upon the Heart, and Practice: Upon the Heart, as it weakeneth Faith and Love, and Practice. Some Opinions have no malignity in themselves, yet the profession of them may divide the Church, and make us by Contentions, Enemies of the growth and progress of Christ's Kingdom.
