2. It is most strong against admonishing, rebuking and warning one another.1 I may condemn the innocent in these, because I am not infallible; it is against preaching, believing, writing of books of Divinity, making war, peace, borrowing, lending, buying, selling, in all these I am obliged to do upon certain persuasion of faith, that what I do is lawful, else I sin, Rom. 14. 23. and the word of God the most sure oracle to us must be my rule. Now I may no more venture on the least sin, then a Christian Prince may condemn to death an Idolater, and a blasphemer, who is a sound believer, which is a greater sin, if I be not clear as if an immediate oracle were speaking from heaven, as Libertines say, and the argument must be thus, what we cannot do with as great infallibility of not erring, as the Priest that immediately consulted the oracle, or the Prophet immediately inspired, that we cannot do lawfully. But the Christian Prince under the New Testament cannot with such infallibility punish Idolaters, Blasphemers, or any otherwise, ergo, The proposition is false, for certain knowledge is sufficient, for the Holy Ghost would never bid us admonish, and after admonition avoid an heretic, as Tit. 3. 10. nor would our Saviour bid us beware of men, of false teachers, and false Christs, and avoid them, and believe them not, and try them by their works, and search the Scriptures, and examine their doctrine, nor would the Lord bid us try the Spirits, and try the Antichrist, and eat not with Idolaters as he doth, Matth. 24. 23, 24, 25. Joh. 5. 39. Rem. 16, 17, 18. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 11. If he laid this ground of Libertines, heart-obstinacy, only legible to God, and knowable •s none but to infallible Spirits, makes an heretic and a false Christ before men, yet you are to admonish and eschew him, this is as much, as if the Lord should say, If any man have such an opinion and heart-thought never manifested to men or Angel, that knew whether the number of the stars were odds or equal, admonish such a man and ⟨p. 195⟩avoid him, and bid him not God speed, neither receive him into your house. Yea, so no Minister of the Gospel should preach to his flock fundamental Gospel truths, because he is not infallible, and he may teach fundamental lies for truths.
2. It is most strong against admonishing, rebuking and warning one another.1 I may condemne the innocent in these, because I am not infallible; it is against preaching, beleeving, writing of books of Divinity, making warre, peace, borrowing, lending, buying, selling, in all these I am oblieged to do upon certaine perswasion of faith, that what I doe is lawfull, else I sinne, Rom. 14. 23. and the word of God the most sure oracle to us must be my rule. Now I may no more venture on the least sinne, then a Christian Prince may condemne to death an Idolater, and a blasphemer, who is a sound beleever, which is a greater sinne, if I be not cleare as if an immediate oracle were speaking from heaven, as Libertines say, and the argument must bee thus, what we cannot do with as great infallibility of not erring, as the Priest that immediately consulted the oracle, or the Prophet immediately inspired, that we cannot do lawfully. But the Christian Prince under the New Testament cannot with such infallibility punish Idolaters, Blasphemers, or any otherwise, ergo, The proposition is false, for certaine knowledge is sufficient, for the Holy Ghost would never bid us admonish, and after admonition avoid an hereticke, as Tit. 3. 10. nor would our Saviour bid us beware of men, of false teachers, and false Christs, and avoid them, and believe them not, and try them by their workes, and search the Scriptures, and examine their doctrine, nor would the Lord bid us try the Spirits, and try the Antichrist, and eate not with Idolaters as he doth, Matth. 24. 23, 24, 25. Joh. 5. 39. Rem. 16, 17, 18. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 11. If he laid this ground of Libertines, heart-obstinacy, only legible to God, and knowable •s none but to infallible Spirits, makes an hereticke and a false Christ before men, yet you are to admonish and eschew him, this is as much, as if the Lord should say, If any man have such an opinion and heart-thought never manifested to men or Angel, that knew whether the number of the starres were oddes or equall, admonish such a man and ⟨p. 195⟩avoid him, and bid him not God speed, neither receive him into your house. Yea, so no Minister of the Gospell should preach to his flocke fundamentall Gospell truths, because hee is not infallible, and hee may teach fundamentall lyes for truths.
- 1Want of infallibility should exclude all Judges to judg, •ast•rs to preach on write, Synods to advise because we cannot do these with Prophetical infallibility.Want of infallibility should exclude all Judges to judg, •ast•rs to preach on write, Synods to advise because we cannot doe these with Propheticall infallibility.
