Consid. 6. What wonder that there be divisions about Christ. 1Some will have the Lord speaking from heaven, a thunder; others, an Angel. Christ is the most disputable thing in the world, Math. 16.13, 14. there be five Religions, and sundry opinions touching Christ, the Scribes and Pharisees had many sundry opinions, and one of them is the right way only, and ten false. Joh. 7.40. Many say Christ is a Prophet. Vers. 41 Others said, this is the Christ; Others no: Shall Christ come out of Galilee, and there was a division among them Luke 2.34. Christ is for a sign that shall be spoken against. And amongst Christs sufferings this is one, Hebr. 12.3. He sustained [Greek or Hebrew], contradiction of sinners. Math. 24. Many false Christs shall arise. There is but one heaven, and one way to heaven; and there is but one hell: but there be thousands of ways to hell:2 from one point to another, you can draw but one straight line; but you may draw tenn• thousand crooked, and circular lines. The truth is one, and very narrow, the lie is broad and very fertile, and broody, error is infinite. Its a blessed thing to find wisdom to hit upon Christ, and adhere to him;3 there be some dicers and cozeners, Ephes. 4.14. that lye in wait to deceive the simple; and they cast the dice for heaven, and can cast you up any thing on the dice, either one, or seven; do ye then resign your selves in this wood of false Religions that now is, to Christ, to be led to heaven. Many now teach, there be some few fundamentals, believe them, and live well, and you are saved. And many false Teachers that turn ⟨p. 185⟩the Gospel upside down, say, it is the same Gospel, though the head be where the feet should be; and for errors, we wrong not truth, so long as we hold nothing against fundamentals: Should a man remove the roof of your house, cut down the timber of it, and pick out all the fair stones in the wall, and say, Friend, I wrong not your house, see, the foundation stones are safe, and the four corner stones are sure, in the mean time, the house can fence off neither wind nor rain, would not this man both mock you, and wrong you? He that keeps the foundation Christ, shall be saved, though he build on it hay and stubble, 1 Cor. 3. Its true.
Consid. 6. What wonder that there bee divisions about Christ. 1Some will have the Lord speaking from heaven, a thunder; others, an Angel. Christ is the most disputable thing in the world, Math. 16.13, 14. there be five Religions, and sundry opinions touching Christ, the Scribes and Pharisees had many sundry opinions, and one of them is the right way onely, and tenne false. Joh. 7.40. Many say Christ is a Prophet. Vers. 41 Others said, this is the Christ; Others no: Shall Christ come out of Galile, and there was a division among them Luke 2.34. Christ is for a signe that shall bee spoken against. And amongst Christs sufferings this is one, Hebr. 12.3. He sustained 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, contradiction of sinners. Math. 24. Many false Christs shall arise. There is but one heaven, and one way to heaven; and there is but one hell: but there be thousands of wayes to hell:2 from one point to another, you can draw but one straight line; but you may draw tenn• thousand crooked, and circular lines. The truth is one, and very narrow, the lie is broad and very fertile, and broodie, error is infinite. Its a blessed thing to find wisdome to hit upon Christ, and adhere to him;3 there be some dicets and couseners, Ephes. 4.14. that lye in wait to deceive the simple; and they cast the dice for heaven, and can cast you up any thing on the dice, either one, or seven; do yee then resigne your selves in this wood of false Religions that now is, to Christ, to be led to heaven. Many now teach, there be some few fundamentals, beleeve them, and live well, and you are saved. And many false Teachers that turne ⟨p. 185⟩the Gospel upside downe, say, it is the same Gospel, though the head be where the feet should be; and for errors, we wrong not truth, so long as we hold nothing against fundamentals: Should a man remove the roofe of your house, cut down the timber of it, and pick out all the faire stones in the wall, and say, Friend, I wrong not your house, see, the foundation stones are safe, and the foure corner stones are sure, in the meane time, the house can fence off neither winde nor raine, would not this man both mock you, and wrong you? He that keeps the foundation Christ, shal be saved, though he build on it hay and stubble,
- 1Division the birth of weak minds.Division the birth of weake minds.
- 2Sin and error broodie, truth but one.Sinne and error broodie, truth but one.
- 3•en erring, though in non-fundamentals may displease God, and deface truth▪ and he damned eternally.•en erri•g, though in non-fundamentals may displease God, and deface truth▪ and hee damned eternally.
