A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are discussed and resolved ... / by Mr. George Gillespie ... ; published by Mr. Patrik Gillespie ...

CHAP. X. (Book 10)

Of new Lights, and how to keep off from splitting either upon the Charybdis of pertinacy and tenaciousnesse, or upon the Scylla of Levity, Wavering and Scepticisme.

TIs pleaded by some who pretend to more tendernesse of conscience then others, that to establish by the Law of the Land a Confession of Faith, or a Dire∣ctory of the worship of God, and of the Govern∣ment of the Church, and to appoint penalties or punishments upon such as maintaine the contrary Doctrines or practises,

is to hold out and shut the doore upon new Light. That as the State and Church hath discovered the evill of diverse things, which were sometime approved and strengthned by the Law of the Land, so there may be afterwards a discovery made by the light of Experience, and a further search of the Scripture, to make manifest the falshood of those Doctrines which are now received as true, and the evil of that Government and way which is now imbraced as good, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

For satisfaction in this difficulty, First of all, I do not deny but most willingly yeeld, yea assert as a necessary truth, that as our knowledge (at its best in this world) is imperfect, (for we know but in part) so it ought to be our desire and endea∣vour to grow in the knowledge of the minde of Christ, to follow on to know the Lord, to seek after more and more light, for the path of the Iust is as the shyning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, Prov. 4. 18. Secondly, I ac∣knowledge that this imperfection of our knowledge, is not only in degrees, but in parts, that is, we may know afterwards not only more of that good, or evill, or truth, or error, of which we knew somewhat before, but we may happily come to know the evill of that whereof we knew no evill before, or the good of that in which we knew no good before, so may we come to know diverse truths which before we knew not. Thirdly, I acknowledge there is not only this imperfection, but oft times a great mistake, misunderstanding, error, and un∣soundnesse in the judgement of Christian persons or Church∣es, so that godly men and true Churches may come to know that to be evil which they sometime thought good, and that to be false which sometime they thought true, or contrariwise. Which experience hath taught, and may teach again. Fourthly, I confesse it is no shame for an Augustine to writ a Book of Re∣tractations. It is the duty, not only of particular Christians, but of reforming, yea reformed, yea the best reformed Churh∣es,

whensoever any error in their doctrine, or any evill in their Government or forme of worship, shall be demonstrated to them from the word of God, (although it were by one single person, and one perhaps of no great reputation for parts or learning, like Paphnu•…•…ius among the many learned Bishops in the counsell of Nice) to take in and not to shut out further light: to imbrace the will of Christ held foorth unto them, and to amend what is amisse, being discovered unto them. Fifthly, I also believe that towards the evening of the world, there shall be more light, and knowledge shall be increased, Dan: 12. 4. and many hid things in Scripture better understood, when the Jewes shall be brought home, and the Spirit of grace and illumina∣tion more aboundantly powred foorth. We have great cause to long and pray for the conversion of the Jewes, surely we shall be much the better of them.

But on the other hand, the greatest deceits and depths of Sathan have been brought into the world, under the name or notion of new Lights. Did not the serpent beguile Evah with this notion of a new light, Gen: 3. 5? Which example the Apostle setteth before our eyes, 2 Cor: 11. 3 plainly warning us that Sathan is transformed into an Angell of light, and his apostles into the Apostles of Christ, vers. 13. 14. So Rev: 2. 2. Did not Ieroboam make Israel to sin by a false new Light? It is too much for you to go up to Ierusalem, behold thy Gods, O Isra∣el, &c. 1. Kings. 12. 28. He would shew to the ten Tribes, how they might in all matters of Religion be independent upon Je∣rusalem; howbeit (to note that by the way) he did not erect Independent Churches, without an Independent Common∣wealth. He would shew them also that they were abused with a pretended sacred order of the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord, therefore no jure divino men, but Ministers dependent, 2 Chron: 11. 14. 15. And so he would needs make Priests of the lowest of the people, vers. 31. for all which he had a pre∣tence

of power or liberty from God, 1 Kings, 11. 37. His new light made an Independent Church, and a dependent Ministery. The Gnosticks had their name from the profound knowledge and greater light which they pretended to, above all others, yet the ancient writers tell us they were but a prophane Sect. Maho•…•…et himself pretended that the Angel Gabriel taught him his Alcoran, that so he might purchase the greater credit to it.

Now tis to be observed, there are many cautions necessary, and that there is much to be said against many of these things which now goe under the name of new Lights among those who plead for Liberty of conscience.

New Light is now become a beguiling Word, as once a∣mong the Graecians, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a new swallow. A beguiling word, I may wel cal it, for most of those things which are now cried up as new lights, are neither lights nor new. Not lights, because not according to the word from whence all true light must be derived. Not new, because the very same things have been before moved and maintained, Antinomianisme, Ana∣baptisme, universall atonement by the death of Christ, univer∣sall salvation, a temporall and earthly kingdome of Christ, and the Saints liberty of conscience &c. have been maintained and confuted also before this age. Independency it self, if it be a light, yet it is no new one lately struck out, for it was long since a known tenent of the Arminians, that Synods or Coun∣sels ought only to debate, deliberat, consult, and advise, but not to exercise any Jurisdiction, to inflict any censure, or to in∣joyn any thing under pain of censure. See the propositions of∣fered by the Arminians in the 25th Session of the Synod of Dort. See also Episcopii disp: Theol: part: 2 disp: 54. Thes: 9, 10. & part 3, disp: 32, thes: 4. 5, 11. But I come to the particular cautions concerning new Lights.

First, it is but a false new light which expelleth not only the old darknesse, but much of the good old light. As in Medecins

the Paracelsian way is most dangerous when it is destructive to the Galenik way, and overthroweth the old approved principles, yet tis of very good use when prudently, and skil∣fully managed, for perfecting the Galenik way, and for doing things more speedily, easily, and pleasantly, than the Galenik way could doe: So in Divinity, such new Lights as do not expell, but retaine, improve, and perfect the old, may be of singular good use: but those new Lights which are destructive and expulsive of the old true Lights, those new wayes which lead us away from the old and the good way, are to be utterly disliked and avoided, 2 Epist: of Iohn vers: 8. Look to your selves, that we lose not th•…•…se things which we have gained. Hee speaks it against those deceavers who would have seduced them from the Doctrine of Christ, as is evident both from the preceeding vers and from that which followeth: Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ, hath not God, &c Rom. 16. 17. Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. A Bishop, saith Paul, must hold fast the faithfull word, as he hath been taught, •…•…it▪ 1. 9. Phil. 3. 16. Neverthelesse, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same minde. This he addes as a prevention of a dangerous mistake, and abuse of that which he had said immediatly before: And if in any thing ye be other∣wise minded, God shall reveale even this unto you. Behold, a re∣serve for any new Light, might some say: Nay but take •…•…eed saith the Apostle, you do not shut forth, but keep fast the light you have already attained unto, you must not under pre∣tence of new light, loose what you have gained, Col. 2. 6, 7, 8. As ye have therefore receaved Christ Iesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and stablisht in the faith, as yee have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving: Beware least any man spoil you through Philosophie, and vain deceit; &c. These

Apostolicall rules, are very far contrary to the Accademicall; yea, Pyrrhonian demurre and dubitation, by which some call in question the most received Doctrines in the Christian Church. If Skepticisme bee tollerable in the Christian faith, why are we bidden stand fast in the faith, 1 Cor: 16. 13. and again Heb. 10. 23. let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wa∣vering? And why did Jesus Christ himselfe write to those who had not receaved the false Doctrines of that time, that which ye have already, hold fast till I come, Rev: 2. 24? It was a fowle error in Balaam the false Prophet, that after God had said to him concerning Balaks messengers, Thou shall not goe with them, thou shall not curse the people, for they are blessed, Num: 22 12. yet at the next sending of Messengers, he would needs seek (forsooth) a new Light from God, vers: 18. 19. If Balak would give me his housefull of silver and gold, I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do lesse or more Now therefore I pray you, tarry yee also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto mee more. God gave him a n•…•…w light indeed, but in wrath and judgement, quite extinguishing and expelling judicially that light which the false Prophet himself had not intertained, but wickedly forsaken, vers: 20. And God came to Balaam at night, and said unto him, if the men come to call thee, rise up and goe with them. Behold the fruit of not entertaining light, once received from God. So likewise the young Prophet, 1 Kings 13. for not holding fast what he had receaved from God but taking in a new false light from the old Prophet, was most exemplarly and severly punished for it. This is the first caution most necessary for the Sectaries of this time, whose new lights are such, that among them vetera deperdita, and nova reperta, go hand in hand together, and are almost convertible termes, as if a man should not keep what he had, because he finds somewhat which he had not.

Secondly, many of those new lights which some brag off,

not onely expell much of the good old light, but bring in grosse Egyptian darknesse. There is a woe denounced against those who put darknesse for light, as well as against those who put light for darknesse, Isay 5. 20. I may well say, that grosse darknesse is introduced, when the fundamentall Articles of faith are called in question, denied, and oppugned, as the God∣head of Jesus Christ, the divine authority of the Scriptures; the immortality of the Soul, the eternity of glory to the Elect, and of torments to the Reprobate, &c. If the foundations be shaken, what can the righteous doe? If wee hold not fast this Gospell, if we embrace not this Saviour, we cannot have another, 1 Cor: 3. 11. For other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid, which is Iesus Christ, Gal: 1. 6. I marvell that ye are so soone removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another Gospell, vers, 8. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospell unto you, then that which wee have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Thirdly, beware of those new Lights, which make any cer∣tain truth (although neither fundamentall, nor circumfun∣damentall) to be uncertaine, as wee ought not to say of any sin, so neither of any truth: Is it not a little one? Let every truth be highly valued. Buy the truth, and sell it not; say not, This truth is but a matter of discipline, let it goe, 'ts not worth the buying? He that is faithfull in that which is least, is faithfull also in much: and he that is un•…•…ust in the least, is unjust also in much, Luke 16. 10. Melchior Adamus, both in the life of Carolostadius, and in the life of Luther, observeth the great evill which grew out of Luthers dislike of Carolostadius, his strictnesse, zeal, and forewardnesse, in abolishing auricular confession, and difference of meats, and casting out images out of Churches, at which things Luther was the more offended, because done by Caro∣lostadius in Wittenbreg, during Luthers absence, and without his knowledge and counsell. Luther did also alledge that Caro∣lostadius,

his strictnesse and zeal in these lesser things, hindered and retarded the Reformation in more substantiall points of Doctrine. However the story noteth, that hence was the first rise of that deplorable Sacramentarian controversie, which hath ever since made so great a rupture in Germany. I could never yet observe, or read, or hear of controversies about dis∣cipline in any Christian Church, but still they grew higher and higher, and those who rejected, or slighted the will of Christ in smaller things, did afterwards slight it in greater things.

Fourthly, beware of those new lights, which not only re∣fuse to admit some certaine truths, but refuse to admit any truth, now held or professed in the reformed Churches, as sure and certaine and infallible, as if, because mens judgements are not infallible, but subject to error, therefore, wee cannot be sure, nor infallibly perswaded of this or that Article. The holy Scripture will teach us, that beleevers may attaine to a certaine and infallible knowledge of some truths, for it was no impossible thing that Paul prayed for, when he prayed that the Colossians might have all riches of the full assurance of under∣standing, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. The mystery of God that he is, and that he is eternall, invisible, omnipotent, &c: his nature, and attributes, the mystery of the Father, or that there is a distin∣ction of persons in the holy Trinity, and an eternall generati∣on, the mystery of Christ, his person, natures, offices, birth, passion, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession: these are things of which the Apostle would have us most fully and certainly perswaded. Timothy was assured of the things he had learned, 2 Tim. 3. 14. so was Theophilus, Luke. 1. 4. A Mari∣ner is not infallible in his judgement, yet hee may bee assured infallibly, that such a thing is a rocke which he must avoid, and such a way, is the way he must direct his course: A Physitian is

not infallible in his judgement concerning the symptomes, causes and cures of diseases, yet he may be most certainly per∣swaded, such a disease is deadly, and there is no cure for it, or such a thing may be cured, and this is the cure. So in Divinty the obnoxiousnesse of mens judgement to error hindereth not, but they may be infallibly perswaded of this, and this, and the other truth.

Fifthly, beware of those new Lights, which come not from the Sunne of righteousnesse: To the Law and to the testimony, if they speake not according to this word, it is, because there is no light in them, Isa. 8. 20. When men walk in the light of their owne sparkes, they shall lye down in darknesse: New fancies are not new lights, 'tis no truth, which cannot bee grounded upon the word of truth?

It was a wilde fancy of the Weigelians, that there is a time to come (which they cal seculum Spiritus sancti,) in which God shal by his Spirit reveal much more knowledge and light, then was revealed by Christ and his Apostles in the Scriptures. There is so much revealed in Scripture, as the Apostle calls the wis∣dome of God, and the hidden wisdome of God, 1 Cor: 2. 7. the things which are preached and written to us, are the things which the very Angels desire to look or pry into, 1 Pet. 1. 12. and saith not Christ; That which ye have already, hold fast till I come, Revel: 2. 25? more of this error, see in Brochm and System. theol: com: 1. Article 6. cap: 2. quaest: 12.

Sixtly, take heed of proud, and lofty, and self conceited new Lights, 1 Cor: 14. 32, 33. And the spirits of the Prophets, are subject to the Prophets; for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. If the spirits of the Prophets must be so subject, how much more the spirits of private persons? Wherefore in a reformed Church, all pretended new Lights, which are against the receaved Doctrine, government, or forme of worship, ought to be in all humility and submission, offered to be tryed

by a learned and godly Synod. The Lo•…•…rean severity was such, that no man might move for a new law, but with a rope about his neck, that if his motion were thought good, he might be spa∣red: but if bad, hanged. So Demosthenes advers: Timocr: tells us. I will not allow this severity against such as offer new Lights, or move for new changes in the Church. But I may well applie here, the Athenian law recorded by Demosthenes in the same Oration. The Athenians went not so farre as the Locri, yet no man might move for a new law in Athens, unlesse the motion were offered and submitted to the Senat, who were to judge, whether the old or the new were better.

Seventhly, beware of separating new Lights, to separat from, or gather Churches out of the true reformed or reforming Churches, hath not the least warrant from the word of God. When we see this or that amisse in a Church, wee are bidden exhort one another, and provoke one another to good, but not to separate, Heb. 10. 24, 25. Zuinglius conferred amicably with the Anabaptists in Zurik, as with dissenting brethren, and no course was taken to suppresse or restraine them by the secu∣lar power, till they grew to gather Churches out of the true re∣formed Churches, but when it came to that, they could not be suffered or forborn, it was thought necessary to restrain them.

Eightly, beware of those new Lights which dare not be seen, and are kept up in corners. Truth seeks no corners: light doth not shun light: a candle is not lighted to be put under a bushel, but on a candlestick, Matth: 5. 15. 1 Ioh: 3. 20, 21. Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither commeth to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved, but he that doth truth, commeth to the light, Prov. 4. 19. The way of the wicked, is as darknesse: they know not at what they stumble. I adde to make up the Antithesis to vers: 18. their way is darkened more and more untill the dark night. I have heard when the Arminians were p•…•…tto it in the Synod of Dort, to declare their judgement and sense

which they would hold at, they declined it, and Episcopius an∣swered in the name of the rest, Dies diem docet. And is it not so with the Sectaries of this time, from whom you cannot draw a clear modell of what they hold?

Ninthly, refuse such new Lights as have fellowship with the unfruitfull work•…•… of darknesse, Eph 5. 11. 'Tis a deceitfull new Light, which makes men forbear to reprove, speak, or pe∣tition against those evills in a state which their consciences know to be sinfull, and to wink at such things, as publikly dishonour God in a nation, upon hopes that themselves shall be winked at and tollerated. But what communion hath light with darknesse, 2 Cor. 6. 14. There are some who pretend to new Light, and to tendernesse of conscience, who yet are con∣tent, to combine and associat themselves with those of another and different way, (which themselves condemn as a sinfull way) in that common cause of theirs, for crying up their great Diana, liberty of conscience, and for opposing the Church government by Presbyteries and Synods. How they who would not assist the Presbyterians, for the purging of their Congregations, and keep off all scandalous persons from the Sacrament, and yet do assist and strengthen Separatists, Anabap∣tists, Antinomians, Socinians, Erastians, S•…•…ekers, in seeking after tolleration, how (I say) they will answer this to God and their own consciences, let them look to it. Again, many of the pretended new Lights: have communion with darknesse in another respect, because they are borrowed from Heresies, buried in darknesse. How many new Lights are now brought from the Arrians, Manichees, Novatians, Donatists, the con∣templative Monkes and Friars, the Photinians, Socinians, Ar∣minians, &c. These are no more new Lights, then a beggars cloak is a new garment, being newly made up, out of many old riven and rotten clo•…•…ts sowed together.

Tenthly, away with those new Lights which let men see no∣thing

better, which bring no edification, those Baeoti•…•… aenigmata, those none sense and naughty high notions, in which some frothie spirits evanish. Let all things bee done unto edifying, 1 Cor: 14. 26. There are vaine bablings, and science falsly so called, which hath made men erre from the faith, 1 Tim 6. 20, 21.

Lastly, take good heed of those new Lights, which follow new interests. Such was that of Ieroboam, 1 Kings 12. 26. to the end; and that of Balaam; Num: 22. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. There are some who suppose that gaine is godlinesse, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim: 6. 5. and so there are some who suppose new interests, to be new Lights.