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it, yet they esteem it not of fuch moment, as to think fit to move any difference thereabout. This thing alfo is of very great force to keep the people from taking notice of a change in doctrine, when 'men fhall perfuade themselves that they are not able to judge of matters of religion; as though It is, It is not, and other words used in fcripture, do not fignify the fame which they do in common discourse; or as if nothing could be understood without fome great knowledge in the tongues, and arts or fciences, and as if the power of the spirit were of no efficacy without thefe helps. Whereby it cometh to pass, that • whilft they think they understand not even those things which in fome fort they do understand, being expreffed in moft clear and evident words, they do at length arrive to that blockishness, that they can< not understand them indeed; fo that, though they have before their eyes a sentence of fcripture fo clear, that nothing can be more evident, yet if they to whofe authority they in all things fubject themselves, fhall fay any thing point-blank oppofite thereunto, they will give credit unto them, and imagine themfelves not to fee that which they fee as clear as the light. And by these means verily it comes to pass, that when the doctrine of religion is corrupted, the mutation is not discovered. Furthermore, when the doctrine is once begun to be changed, it must needs be that out of one error another fhould fpring and propagate infinitely; and God, for juft reafons of his own, blinding them, men bring upon themfelves fo great darkness, and flip into fuch foul errors, that if God of his mercy open a man's eyes, ⚫ and let him fee thofe errors he lives in, he can scarcely believe himself, or be perfuaded that he was ever ⚫ enveloped with fuch blind errors. Which thing is as true, and as well to be feen, in men of greatest learning and experience. If thou shalt thoroughly perufe the writings of fome of the fchool-men (as they call them) thou fhalt in fome places meet with fo much acuteness, as will make thee admire: thou 'fhalt

'fhalt see them oftentimes cleave a fine thread into many parts, and accurately anatomife a flea, and a little after fall fo foully, and avouch fuch abfurdities, that thou canft not fufficiently stand amazed: • Wherefore we must obey that advice of the poet;

<

Principiis obfta, ferò medicina paratur,

Cum mala per longas invaluere moras.

• Refift betimes; that med'cine ftays too long, • Which comes when age has made the grief too ftrong.

That

Now there is need of a double caution, viz. 'there be no change made in the doctrine, when it is pure and if any change be made, that there be notice taken of it. Now look what change is made in this kind, all the blame is laid upon thofe whofe office it is to inftruct the people: for though themfelves are the authors of the change, yet will the people impute it to the minifters fleepinefs, and want of care at leaft. It concerns therefore the pastors and teachers to be eagle-eyed, and to be very. well acquainted with those causes whereby the change ' of doctrine becomes undiscovered, and to have them at their fingers ends, and to be wary, that on no ' hand they may mifcarry. Now it will be an excellent caution for the keeping of doctrine pure, if they 'fhall avoid all curious and vain controverfies: if 'they shall set before their eyes the fcope and end of ' all religious doctrines, and likewise a series or cata'logue of all fuch things as make to the attainment of that end (of which we formerly fpake); if they ' fhall affect not only the matter itself, but also the 'words and phrafes, which the Holy Ghoft in fcripture 'makes use of, and exceedingly fufpect all different forms of speaking. Not that I would have them speak nothing but Hebraifms; for fo their language 'would not be plain nor intelligible; but I wish that 'they would fhun all fuch expreffions as have been in• vented

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évented by over-nice difputants, beyond what was neceffary to exprefs the fenfe of the Hebrew and Greek; and all those tenets which men by their own wits do collect and infer from the fcriptures. Now of what concernment this will be, we may gather by this inftance: the Papifts think it one and the fame thing to fay, the church cannot err; and to say, in the words of our Lord, "Wherefoever two or "three fhall be gathered together in my name, there " will I be in the midst of them." Yet is the difference very great; which may thus appear, forafmuch as in cafe any one fhall conceive the church to be the pope, cardinals, and bishops anointed by the Pope; he, hearing the aforefaid fentence, will judge that whatfoever they fhall decree, ought to be • of force. But if he fhall rather mind the words of our Lord, and fhall confider that thofe kind of men do regard nothing but their own commodity, wealth and dominion, he will be fo far from fo understanding them, that, peradventure, not being able to, allow the deeds and practices of thefe men, he will come to hope from those words, that if himself, with • fome other good men, loving God with their whole heart, fhall come together, and unanimously implore ⚫ the affiftance of God, they fhall be better able to determine what it is that ought to be believed and practifed for the attainment of falvation, than if they should perfift to put their confidence in fuch paftors. Now this rule, that the words of the fcripture ought to be used rather than any other, is then ⚫ especially to be obferved, when any thing is delivered as a certain and tried truth, or as a rule of faith or life, or out of which any other thing is to be • inferred. For in expofitions and explanations, as there is need haply of greater liberty, fo is there lefs danger if it be taken. For when-as the word of God, and the expofition thereof, are at one and the fame time both together in view as it were, there no man can be ignorant, that the expofition is the word of man, fo that he may reject it, in cafe it feem <impertinent.

impertinent. And look, by what means a man may hinder the doctrine of religion from being changed, by the self-fame he may find whether it be changed or no. Now every man ought to compare the doctrine of that age wherein he lives, with no other doc• trine than that which was out of question fpotless, which is the doctrine of the apoftles. Wherefore, ⚫ notwithstanding that in our age the gofpel is as it < were revived, yet ought not any man thus to think, that he ought not to examine whether the gospel ⚫ hath not loft any of that purity whereunto it had at this time arrived; he ought rather to look again and again, whether fome corruption do not yet remain, whether it be not in fome parts as yet not fufficiently reftored to its ancient purity and luftre; and confidently perfuade himself, that he cannot be (that I may fo fpeak) fufficiently fuperftitious in rejecting every word which is not in the fcriptures. Foral• much as man will ever be more wife and wary than the Holy Spirit, and can very hardly forbear to min'gle somewhat from his own head: fo that whatever comes from man, can never be fufficiently fufpected. And because a thing will be fo much the better preferved, by how much the greater is the number of thofe that keep it; the people ought often to be put in mind, that both the reading of the fcriptures, and the care of religion, belongs not to the pastors of the church only; but that every one that would 'be faved ought to make diligent search, whether any corruption be already, or is for the future like to be 'introduced; and this to do no lefs carefully, than if he were perfuaded that all befide himself were asleep : ' and whatsoever is wont to take the common people off 'from fuch studies, care must be taken that that thing be wholly taken away. Concerning which matter 'we shall more conveniently difcourfe anon.

·

Now, forafmuch as the profit will be small, if fome private man fhall obferve that an error is intro'duced, unless he difcover the faid error, and lay it open; there muft of neceffity be fome way how this

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may

may conveniently be done. Now there cannot be a more fitting way, than that which the apostle propounds to the Corinthians." "Let two or three "prophets fpeak, and let the reft judge; and if any "thing be revealed to him that fits by, let the for"mer be filent. For ye may all prophefy one by ❝one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted." If fome one perfon fhall always fpeak in the church, and no man at any time may contradict him, it will be a very strange thing if that one man be not puffed up, if he do not fall into fuch a conceit of himself, as to think that he is the only man, that he only hath understanding, he alone is wife; that all the rest are a company of brute animals as it < were, who ought to depend only upon him, and to do nothing but learn of him: and if any man shall think that himself likewise hath some ability to teach, he will account that man an heinous offender. But what fays the apoftle to this?" Did the word of God come from you? Or came it unto you only? If any "feem to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknow"ledge what I write unto you to be the commands "of the Lord. But if any one be ignorant, let him "be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, labour that ye

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may prophefy, and forbid not to speak with tongues; "let all things be done decently and in order." It

is exceedingly to be lamented, that this cuftom, and the practice of this command of the Lord, is not ⚫ again restored unto the churches, and brought into ufe. But fome men may fay, fuch is the rashness of this age of ours, fuch the boldness, such the impudence, that if it were allowed to every one to fpeak in the congregation, there will be no end of brawls and contention. Why fo? Is man another • kind of creature now, than what he was of old? Thou wilt fay, he is; for mankind hath continually degenerated, grown worfe and worse, and feems now to have attained the top of corruption. Is it

I Cor. xiv.

fa