Chapter VIII.
Of the liberty and duty of gifted uncalled Christians in the exercise of divers acts of God’s worship.
And thus have I declared what I conceive concerning extraordinary calling to the public teaching of the word, in what cases only it useth to take place; whence I conclude, that whosoever pretends unto it, not warranted by an evidence of one of those three ways that God taketh in such proceedings, is but a pretender, an impostor, and ought, accordingly, to be rejected of all God’s people. In other cases, not to disuse what outward ordinary occasion, from them who are intrusted by commission from God with that power, doth confer upon persons so called, we must needs grant it a negative voice in the admission of any to the public preaching of the gospel. If they come not in at that door, they do climb over the wall, if they make any entrance at all. It remains, then, to shut up all, that it be declared what private Christians, living in a pure, orthodox, well-ordered church, may do, and how far they may interest themselves in holy, soul-concerning affairs, both in respect of their own particular and of their brethren in the midst of whom they live; in which determination, because it concerneth men of low degree, and those that comparatively may be said to be unlearned, I shall labour to express the conceivings of my mind in as familiar, plain observations as I can. Only, thus much I desire may be premised, that the principles and rules of that church government from which, in the following assertions, I desire not to wander are of that kind (to which I do, and always, in my poor judgment, have adhered, since, by God’s assistance, I had engaged myself to the study of his word) which commonly are called presbyterial or synodical, in opposition to prelatical or diocesan on the one side, and that which is commonly called independent or congregational on the other.
First, then, a diligent searching of the Scriptures, with fervent prayers to Almighty God for the taking away that veil of ignorance which by nature is before their eyes, that they may come to a saving knowledge in and a right understanding of them, is not only lawful and convenient for all men professing the name of Christ, but also absolutely necessary; because commanded, yea indeed commanded, because the end so to be attained is absolutely necessary to salvation. To confirm this I need not multiply precepts out of the Old or New Testament, (such as that of Isa. viii. 20, “To the law and to the testimony;” and that of John v. 39, “Search the Scriptures,”) which are innumerable; nor yet heap up motives unto it, such as are the description of the heavenly country whither we are going, in them contained, John xiv. 2; 2 Cor. v. 1; Rev. xxii. 1, etc.; the way by which we are to travel, laid down John v. 39, xiv. 5, 6; Jesus Christ, whom we must labour to be like, painted out, Gal. iii. 1; and the back parts of God discovered, Deut. xxix. 29. By them only true spiritual wisdom is conveyed to our souls, Jer. viii. 9, whereby we may become even wiser than our teachers, Ps. cxix. 99; in them all comfort and consolation is to be had in the time of danger and trouble, Ps. cxix. 54, 71, 72; in brief, the knowledge of Christ, which is “life eternal,” John xvii. 3; yea, all that can be said in this kind comes infinitely short of those treasures of wisdom, riches, and goodness which are contained in them: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple,” Ps. xix. 7. But this duty of the people is clear and confessed, the objections of the Papists against it being, for the most part, so many blasphemies against the holy word of God. They accuse it of difficulty, which God affirms to “make wise the simple;” of obscurity, which “openeth the eyes of the blind;” to be a dead letter, a nose of wax, which is “quick and powerful, piercing to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit;” to be weak and insufficient, which “is able to make the man of God perfect” and “wise unto salvation.” Yea, that word which the apostle affirmeth to be “profitable for reproof” is not in any thing more full than in reproving of this blasphemy.
Secondly, They may not only (as before) search the Scriptures, but also examine and try by them the doctrine that publicly is taught unto them. The people of God must not be like “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive,” Eph. iv. 14. All is not presently gospel that is spoken in the pulpit; it is not long since that altar-worship, Arminianism, Popery, superstition, etc., were freely preached in this kingdom. Now, what shall the people of God do in such a case? Yield to every breath, to every puff of false doctrine? or rather try it by the word of God, and if it be not agreeable thereunto, cast it out like salt that hath lost its savour? Must not the people take care that they be not seduced? Must they not “beware of false prophets, which come unto them in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves?” And how shall they do this? what way remains but a trying their doctrine by the rule? In these evil days wherein we live, I hear many daily complaining that there is such difference and contrariety among preachers, they know not what to do nor scarce what to believe. My answer is, Do but your own duty, and this trouble is at an end. Is there any contrariety in the book of God? Pin not your faith upon men’s opinions; the Bible is the touchstone. That there is such diversity amongst teachers is their fault, who should think all the same thing; but that this is so troublesome to you is your own fault, for neglecting your duty of trying all things by the word. Alas! you are in a miserable condition, if you have all this while relied on the authority of men in heavenly things. He that builds his faith upon preachers, though they preach nothing but truth, and he pretend to believe it, hath indeed no faith at all, but a wavering opinion, built upon a rotten foundation. Whatever, then, is taught you, you must go with it “to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” Isa. viii. 20. Yea, the Bereans are highly extolled for searching whether the doctrine concerning our Saviour preached by St Paul were so or no, Acts xvii. 11; agreeably to the precept of the same preacher, 1 Thess. v. 21, “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good;” as also to that of St John, 1 Epist. iv. 1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Prophets, then, must be tried before they be trusted. Now, the reason of this holds still. There are many false teachers abroad in the world; wherefore try every one, try his spirit, his spiritual gift of teaching, and that by the word of God. And here you have a clear rule laid down how you may extricate yourselves from the former perplexity. Nay, St Paul himself, speaking to understanding Christians, requires them to judge of it: 1 Cor. x. 15, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.” Hence are those cautions that the people should look that none do seduce them, Matt. xxiv. 4; to which end they must have their souls “exercised” in the word of God, “to discern both good and evil,” Heb. v. 14. Thus, also, in one place Christ biddeth his followers hear the Pharisees, and do what they should command, because they sat in Moses’ chair, Matt. xxiii. 2, 3; and yet in another place gives them a caution to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees, Matt. xvi. 12. It remaineth, then, that the people are bound to hear those who possess the place of teaching in the church, but withal they must beware that it contain nothing of the old leaven; to which end they must try it by the word of God; when, as St Paul prayeth for the Philippians, “their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and all judgment, that they may approve things that are excellent,” Phil. i. 9, 10. Unless ministers will answer for all those souls they shall mislead, and excuse them before God at the day of trial, they ought not to debar them from trying their doctrine. Now this they cannot do; for “if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit” of destruction. And here I might have just occasion of complaint:— 1. Of the superstitious pride of the late clergy of this land, who could not endure to have their doctrine tried by their auditors, crying to poor men, with the Pharisees, John ix. 34, “‘Ye were altogether born in sins, and do ye teach us?’ A pretty world it is like to be, when the sheep will needs teach their pastors!” Nothing would serve them but a blind submission to the loose dictates of their cobweb homilies. He saw farther, sure, in the darkness of Popery, who contended that a whole general council ought to give place to a simple layman urging Scripture or speaking reason. Now, surely this is very far from that gentleness, meekness, and aptness to teach, which St Paul requireth in a man of God, a minister of the gospel. 2. The negligence of the people, also, might here come under a just reproof, who have not laboured to discern the voice of the hireling from that of the true shepherd, but have promiscuously followed the new-fangledness and heretical errors of every time-serving starver of souls. Whence proceedeth all that misery the land now groaneth under, but that we have had a people willing to be led by a corrupted clergy, freely drinking in the poison wherewith they are tainted? “The prophets prophesied falsely, the priests bare rule by their means, the people loved to have it so; but what shall we now do in the end thereof?” Who could ever have thought that the people of England would have yielded a willing ear to so many popish errors, and an obedient shoulder to such a heavy burden of superstitions, as in a few years were instilled into them, and laid upon them voluntarily, by their own sinful neglect, ensnaring their consciences by the omission of this duty we insist upon, of examining by the word what is taught unto them?1 But this is no place for complaints. And this is a second thing which the people, distinct from their pastors, may do for their own edification. Now, whether they do this privately, every one apart, or by assembling more together, is altogether indifferent. And that this was observed by private Christians in the primitive times is very apparent.