souls; so is it with the knowledge of the creature; sanctified and made serviceable to God and holiness it is of great utility; but out of its place it is poison and perdition.

Yea, as appetite and sensual delight is necessary, while we are in a body in which the soul must operate and receive: even so is some knowledge of creatures and common things (called learning) of necessity, as a means to better. And while we see, as in a glass, we must not cast away the glass, nor neglect it, though it be but a help to see the species.

I conclude then, 1. That it is hard to say that any man can know too much, except it be 1. Matter of temptation. 2. And of penal knowledge, raising terrors, and tormenting the soul. In these two cases we may know too much; and I fear some men's knowledge is much of the first sort. But so far am I from dissuading any from true knowledge, or studies to attain it, that I think ignorance is the mother, as pride is the father of all heresies, and almost all sins: and that the lazy student shall never be wise, though one may take his years in the university, the greatness of his library, or the titles which he hath obtained, instead of wisdom; and another as slothful, may boast that the Spirit hath saved him the labour of long and hard studies; for my part I shall account both sorts as they are, and leave them to be admired by such as themselves: and verily they have their reward. He that will be wise, must spare no pains, and be diverted by no worldly things, but take wisdom for his welfare here, and the getting and using it for all his work. Never was slothful, or impatient, or presumptious person wise.

2. God hath not made and set before us all his works in vain: "Great and wonderful are all his works, sought out of them that have pleasure therein :" (Psalm cxi :) the image of his power, wisdom, and goodness is imprinted on them all. Who can look up to the sun, and moon, and stars; to the vast and numerous globes above us; to this earth, and all its furniture and inhabitants, and not see the footsteps of the great and wise, and good Creator, and be edified and made more holy; that doth not use the eye of sense alone, while he winketh with the eye of reason? Our Redeemer came to recover us to the knowledge, love and obedience of our Creator, and by faith to lead us up to the love of God, and to sanctify us to our Maker's praise and service. Far was it

from his design to call us from studying the works of creation; which he prepareth us better to understand and use: nor would he deprive reason of its spectacles, but help us to better than we had before. Man's wit and tongue are apt to be so irregular, that we have need of the rules of true logic to keep them to order, and save them from deceit. Too little true logic and philosophy is much of their unhappiness who think they have enough to deserve veneration and applause.

3. But all this is dreaming, insignificant, incoherent nonsense, deliration, worse than children's chat (as it troubleth the world more), if God be not the beginning, guide, and end of it, and if we know not how to please him and be saved; and if all learning be not directly or indirectly a learning to know God and life eternal: when conscience is awakened all things are as dreams, and signify nothing in comparison of God and life eternal, to be obtained by Christ. When men come to die, the most learned die in his mind, and further than it is divine and holy and felicitating, they cry out of all their fame and learning," Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Though learning be the most splendid of all vanities: fear God and keep his commandments, is the end of true learning, and the whole learning of man. Of writing many books there is no end; and much reading is a weariness to the flesh; and he that increaseth knowledge contracteth envy and contradiction, and increaseth sorrow: but sanctified learning maketh a man indeed; so it be true, and not false pretended learning.

4. Therefore the industry of a man's study, the most of his time, the zeal of his soul, must be laid out on God, and the great and endless concernments of his own and others souls; and learning must be desired, esteemed, sought and used, according to its usefulness to these high and glorious ends: Then it is the lower part of wisdom; which all that want it must esteem, and honour, and desire; else it is a dream and folly, which leaveth the awakened soul in shame. But I have been too long on this.

IV. Consider next, that as this lower sort of learning is presupposed by Christ as true, and the desire of it cured as it is a lust; so plainness and intelligibleness were altogether necessary to his ends; what came he on earth to do, but

to reconcile us to God, and make known his kingdom, and his love to sinners? To procure us pardon and a spirit of vivification, illumination, and sanctification? And the word that must be the means of this must be fitted to its end, and be intelligible to the unlearned; or else he should have been the Saviour of a few learned men only, and not of the world. Kings and parliaments write their laws in a style suitable to the matter: and so do men draw up their covenants and princes their pardons, and physicians their bills and directions: And none of these useth to write a grammar or logic instead of their proper work, nor to fill their writings with ludicrous, logical tricks, and toys. He that is but to tell men how to be saved from sin and hell, and brought to heaven, and live so here that he may live with God and angels for ever, must speak in plainness and in good earnest.

V. And consider that the Scripture is not void of so much logic and philosophy as is suitable to its design. In a well-fleshed body the distinction and compagination of the parts are hid, which in an ugly skeleton are discerned. So the Scripture is a body of essentials, integrals and accidentals of religion, and every unstudied fellow cannot anatomise it but it hath its real and excellent method, for all that it is hid to the unskilful. There is a method of Scripture Theology, which is the most accurate that ever the world knew in morality. I have drawn up the body of theology into schemes. In which I doubt not but I have shewn, that the method of theology contained in the Holy Scriptures, is more accurate than any logical author doth prescribe: and the Lord's-prayer and decalogue especially will prove this, when truly opened: and the doctrine of the Trinity, and the Baptismal Covenant, is the foundation of all true method of physics, and morality in the world. What if a novice cannot anatomise Cicero or Demosthenes, doth it follow that they are immethodical? Brandmiller and Flaccher upon the Scripture text, and Steph. Tzegedine, Sohnius, Gomarus, Dudley, Fenner, and many others upon the body of theology have gone far in opening the Scripture method. But more may be yet done.

VI. Consider also that the Eternal Wisdom, Word, and Son of God our Redeemer, is the fountain and giver of all knowledge: nature to be restored, and grace to restore it, are in his hands. He is that true light that lighteneth every

one that cometh into the world: The light of nature and arts, and sciences are from his Spirit and teaching, as well as the Gospel. Whether Clemens Alexandrinus, and some other ancients were in the right or not, when they taught that philosophy is one way by which men come to salvation, it is certain that they are in the right, that say it is now the gift of Christ: And that as the light which goeth before sun-rising (yea which in the night is reflected from the moon,) is from the sun, as well as its more glorious beams; so the knowledge of Socrates, Plato, Zeno, Cirero, Antonine, Epictetus, Seneca, Plutarch, were from the wisdom and word of God, the Redeemer of the world, even by a lower gift of his Spirit, as well as the Gospel and higher illumination and shall Christ be thought void of what he giveth so many in the world?

VII. Lastly, let it be considered above all, that the grand difference between the teaching of Christ and other men, is that he teacheth effectively (as God spake when he created, and as he said to Lazarus, Arise :) He giveth wisdom by giving the Holy Ghost: All other teachers speak but to the ears; but he only speaketh to the heart: were it not for this he would have no church. I should never have else believed in him myself, nor would any other, seriously and savingly. Aristotle and Plato speak but words, but Christ speaketh LIFE and LIGHT and LOVE, in all countries, through all ages to this day. This above all is his witness in the world. He will not do his work on souls, by ludicrous enticing words of the pedantic wisdom of the world; but by illuminating minds, and changing hearts and lives by his effectual operations on the heart. God used no more rhetoric nor logic than a philosopher, when he said only "Let there be light," but he used more power. Indeed the first chapter of Genesis (though abused by ignorants and cabalists) hath more true philosophy in it than the presumptuous will understand, (as my worthy friend Mr. Samuel Gott lately gone to God, hath manifested in his excellent Philosophy; excepting the style, and some few presumptions.) But operations are the glorious oratory of God, and his wisdom shineth in his works, and in things beseeming the heavenly Majesty; and not in childish laces, and toys of wit.

Let us therefore cease quarrelling, and learn wisdom of God, instead of teaching and reprehending him. Let us

magnify the mercy and wisdom of our Redeemer, who hath brought life and immortality to light, and certified us of the matters of the world above, as beseemed a messenger sent from God; and hath taught us, according to the matter, and our capacity, and not with trifling, childish notions.

Inference 6.

CHAP. XVIII.

The true and false Ways of restoring the Churches, and healing our Divisions, hence opened and made plain.

HAVING opened to you our disease, it is easy, were not the disease itself against it, to discern the cure. Pretended knowledge hath corrupted and divided the Christian world. Therefore it must be CERTAIN VERITIES, which must restore us, and unite us. And these must be things PLAIN and NECESSARY, and such as God hath designed to this very use; or else they will never do the work. One would think that it should be enough to satisfy men of this, 1. To read the Scripture. 2. To peruse the terms of concord in the primitive church. 3. To peruse the sad histories of the church's discord and divisions, and the causes. 4. To peruse the state of the world at this day, and to make use of universal experience. 5. To know what a Christian is, what Baptism is, and what a Church is. 6. To know what man is; and that they themselves, and the churches are but men. But penal and sinful infatuation, hath many ages been upon the minds of those in the Christian world, who were most concerned in the cure; and our sin is our misery, as, I think, to the damned it will be the chief part of their hell.

But this subject is so great and needful, and that which the wounds and blood of the Christian world do cry for a skilful cure of; that I will not thrust it into this corner, but design to write a treatise of it by itself, as a second part of this ".

"This book is since printed with some alteration, and called "The True and Only Way of the Concord of the Churches."