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IV. They who agree in the main, but differ in other particulars, ought nevertheless to hold together as if they were in all things agreed. To walk by the fame rule, to mind the fame things.

I. There is that in religion which is neceflary and determined; fixt, and immutable; clear, and perfpicuous; about which good men, thofe that are perfect, i. e. who are of growth and proficiency, or are fincere and honeft, do not differ. The great, momentous, and weighty things of religion, are fuch wherein there is univerfal confent, and agreeGood men do not differ in things that are 1. Perfectly agreeable to the divine nature or, 2. In things that are perfectly agreeable to human nature. 1. The great materials of natural light; and 2. The great articles of chriftian faith.

ment.

II. There is alfo in religion that which is not fo neceffary and immutable; fo clear and plain; in which good men may happen to be otherwife minded, one than another; or otherwife than ought to be. If any be otherwife minded.

Here we may note,

First, The caufes and occafions of error and miftake in these things.

Secondly, The prefervatives, and fecurity, against the danger of it.

First, The caufes and occafions of error and miftake, are thefe.

1. The creature's fallibility.

2. Accidental prejudices from education; converfe common fenfe: ftrong imagination: melancholick temper: weakness of parts, and (which

is of greater deformity than all the former) affectation, fingularity, worldly intereft. Of these I have already spoken.

3. The darkness of things themselves: as where there is lefs of reafon to be faid for a thing; or where the rule of faith is fhort: as to that I take the rule to be, fo far as God hath not determined we are referred to reason, and to the fenfe of our nature. For God did not make one uncapable creature, when he made one that was intelligent. Reafon is the firft participation from God.

Now, as to certain refolution, where there is neither conviction in the way of reafon; nor affurance from revealed truth; in this cafe, our courfe (after diligent fearch) will be, ftay and expectance, rather than any peremptory conclusion in the point. 'Tis fafer to fufpend determination, than to be un groundedly refolved. Difficile eft deponere errorem. 'Tis hard to get rid of an error, therefore take heed of admitting one.

In this cafe, the knowledge of the thing is of lefs importance and the ignorance of it, is of lefs danger. An implicit faith in God, without particular knowledge is safe in this cafe: and nothing is gained by temérity, rashness, and suddenness of opinion. He that is light of faith, by the fame reason, will be light of unbelief; he will as easily disbelieve truth, as believe error. So that he does whatsoever he does by accident, and chance; he doth nothing by a certain rule, so that another may know what he will do next. I do not fuppofe uncertainty in neceffaries of faith, or life and practice; but there is darkness in other things. 4ly. Not

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4ly. Not improvement of intellectuals is another cause of error. Men are nothing, where they have not thought. Men are as they have used themselves, fui cuique mores tingunt fortunam. A man's temper and improvement make him that which he is. We work out of ourselves. Knowledge is fetcht out of us, not brought into us. Scientia educitur, non inducitur. The understanding is not in habit before it is in act. Intellectus non eft in habitu, ante actum

There are common principles, which every one who confiders may come to the knowledge of: but before ftudy and thought, the mind is abrafa tabula as white paper, that has nothing written upon it. The principles of reafon, are as the term of a reafonable foul: and those principles, are principles of action; fo the philofopher, anima eft in difpofitione ad quamlibet formam, in poteftate ad omnem actum. The foul may be made any thing; and may do any action.

'Tis neceffary the mind of man fhould be enlightned, as to matters of faith; and excited as to other things within its fphere, within the compafs of reafon.

A man may be for a while in a false opinion, thus; upon prefumption, and imagination fortified. by non-attendance, and a non-occurrence of an occafion of thorough examination as yet; which when once given, the error is difcarded. A man may chance, by fome incogitancy, to be in an opinion, which when he comes feverely to examine and cenfure; he may wonder at his former inclination.

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The materials of knowledge are large, and very various many are greatly incumbred with bufinefs and have little leifure and we are not confiderable where we have not thought, and examined. None is felf-fufficient, or born to actual knowledge; but to faculties and poffibilities only: we are much more ourselves, where we have taken pains and made enquiry.

5. Another cause of error, is want of neceflary helps and fupplies which others do enjoy ; as friends, fitting acquaintance, freedom of converfe, liberty of time, and opportunity. It betters mens healths and conftitution to live and breath in a free and open air. Had fome but once heard a fuppofition, or fuggeftion to the contrary, they had efcaped their mistakes. Poffibly, if they had once imagined, that others had not fo thought, they would have confidered; so fenfible is modefty and ingenuity..

Men acted by God's fpirit, imitate the divine fpirit; and come as refiners with fire, to do away man's drofs. One who hath well confidered, confulted, examined, is oraculor to the ignorant to perfons of no vacancy and leisure. These have prepared intellectual dainties, fpiritual food for them.

How comparatively defective in respect of others fuch an one is, who lives out of free and ingenuous converse, though of. commendable felf-improvement? This notion is so true, that I wonder any will venture to speak, where he hath not thought, efpecially in fearching company.

These are the causes and occafions of error and mistake. Secondly,

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Secondly, The prefervatives and fecurities against the danger of error, are,

1. Care of right information. We owe this to ourfelves, as of nearer concernment than food and raiment. We owe this, as to truth, in refpect of its worth and excellency; fo to our own fouls. Truth is of kin to our fouls, and natural to us: error is foreign, and a lie. No truth is so useless and unprofitable, as by any principle we may admit, to be neglected. 'Tis the beft apology for a mistake that we did look out after truth.

2. Let the temper of mind be modeft and humble. Secure the ornament of a meck and quiet fpirit. The meek God will lead in judgment, Pfal. xxv.. 9. and, he gives grace to the lowly, Prov. iii. 34. Every one is encouraged to discover his fenfe to the candid and ingenuous. This is the learner's temper. 'Tis every one's duty to give anfwer to every fuch enquirer. To be ready always to give anfwer to every man that asketh a reafon of the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear, 1 Pet. iii. 15. But he is not likely to learn, who is not of a teachable fpirit.

3. A general intention to entertain and fubmit to all truth whatsoever, whenfoever it fhall appear: an implicit faith in God, where the sense of any text is not clear. This carries with it a double advantage; it doth qualify, prepare, and difpofe the mind to be receptive of the highest truth whenfoever it fhall appear and it is an antidote against the malignity of any error, which, in the mean while, any one may chance to be in. He is in an honeft ineaning, whilft in error (in materia erroris.) 4. Deal:

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