1. Out of a sincere love of all truth, to wait with humble, docile and tractable hearts upon God, in the use of such means as he hath appointed, for the revealing of his mind unto us touching those things about which we differ, and for that purpose with single hearts to study the Scriptures, and to weigh every opinion in the balance of the Sanctuary; nThis, the Apostle saith, is profitable for Doctrine and for Reproof: to this he referreth the Church against all danger of Wolves; out of this our Lord revealed to his Disciples the things which concerned himself; by this theo Ancients desired to have the Controversies in their times stated and decided. And ⟨p. 73⟩when any of them teach us to try Doctrines by Ecclesiastical Tradition, and the witness of the Church, they speak of Apostolical Churches, which Tertullian calleth Matrices & Originals, and not barely of the peremptory decision of some one or otherp present or particular Church; for they were able to draw down from the Apostles,q Traducem fidei, as Tertullian calls it, a Doctrinal Succession, to assign the Time, the Authors, & the Posteriority of those Heresies, which they gain-said, as he saith,r Solemus Haereticis compendii causa de posterioritate praescribere. Now because we cannot understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God, fors he it is who openeth the heart, and draweth away the veil, and giveth us an understanding; and because the Scripture hath told us, that Gods people shall bet taught of him; therefore we must in our studying thereof, pray unto God withu Job, That which I see not, teach thou me; and with wDavid, Teach me good Judgement and ⟨p. 74⟩knowledge; and with thex Apostle, beg of God the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him; that in any thing wherein we arey otherwise minded, he will reveal even that unto us.
1. Out of a sincere love of all truth, to wait with humble, docile and tractable hearts upon God, in the use of such means as he hath appointed, for the revealing of his mind unto us touching those things about which we differ, and for that purpose with single hearts to study the Scriptures, and to weigh every opinion in the ballance of the Sanctuary; nThis, the Apostle saith, is profitable for Doctrine and for Reproof: to this he referreth the Church against all danger of Wolves; out of this our Lord revealed to his Disciples the things which concerned himself; by this theo Antients desired to have the Controversies in their times stated and decided. And ⟨p. 73⟩when any of them teach us to try Doctrines by Ecclesiastical Tradition, and the witness of the Church, they speak of Apostolical Churches, which Tertullian calleth Matrices & Originales, and not barely of the peremptory decision of some one or otherp present or particular Church; for they were able to draw down from the Apostles,q Traducem fidei, as Tertullian calls it, a Doctrinal Succession, to assign the Time, the Authors, & the Posteriority of those Heresies, whch they gain-said, as he saith,r Solemus Haereticis compendii causa de posterioritate praescribere. Now because we cannot understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God, fors he it is who openeth the heart, and draweth away the vail, and giveth us an understanding; and because the Scripture hath told us, that Gods people shall bet taught of him; therefore we must in our studying thereof, pray unto God withu Job, That which I see not, teach thou me; and with wDavid, Teach me good Judgement and ⟨p. 74⟩knowledge; and with the
- n2 Tim 3. 16 Act 20. 32. Luk. 14. 2•.
- oOptatus contra Parmen. l. 5. Aug. Epist. 19. c. 1. ep. 48. & 112. contra ep. Parmen. l. 1. c. 2 c•nt. Lit. Petil. l. 2. c. 85. de Unitat. Eccles. c. 3. 6 17, 18, 19. in Ps. 2• Exposit. 2.
- pTertul. cont. H•rmog. c. 2•. Dr. Field Appendix. part. 3. c. 7. pag. 42.
- qTertul. de praescript. cap. 20. 21.
- rAdvers. Hermog. cap. 1. contra Marcion. lib. 5. c. 19. contra P•axeam. cap. 2.
- sA•ts 16. 14. 2 Cor 3. 16, 17 1 John 5, 2•
- tJohn 6. 45 Aug. de G••t. Ch•isti. c. 13. & de praedesti•at. sanctorum cap. 8.
- uJob 34. 32.
- wPsal. 119. 66.
- x
