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shewn in all the other substantial parts, the very fame with that we are now under) to become an Adam's covenant of works.

These things I have here super-added, to leave as little as pofsible behind me to be an occasion of further trouble and contention. Let all strife therefore, in so plain a case, be ended : contentious spirits, are not the most excellent spirits among Christians. Fire (and so contention) is more apt to catch in low built thatcht cottages, than in high built castles and princely palaces: the higher we go, still the more peace. The highest region is most sedate and calm. Stars have the strongest influence when in conjunction. Angels (though legions) have no wars among them; and as willingly go down, as up the ladder, without justling each other. And the most high God is the God of peace; let us also be the children of peace. And I do afssure the persons with whom I contend, that whilst they hold the head, and are tender of the church's peace, I can live in charity with them here, and hope to live in glory with them hereafter.

I remain, reader, thine and

the truth's friend

JOHN FLAVEL.

THE INTRODUCTION.

FINDING, by fad

experience, what I before justly fear

ed, that errors would be apt to spring up with liberty (tho' the restraint of just liberty being a practical error in rulers, can never be the cure of mental errors in the subjects ;) I judged it necessary, at this season, to give a fuccinct account of the rife, causes, and remedies of several mistakes and errors, under which, even the reformed churches among us, as well as others, do groan at this day.

I will not stay my reader long upon the etymology and derivations of the word. We all know that etymologies are no definitions: yet because they cast some light upon the nature of the thing we enquire after, it will not be lost labour to observe, that this word ERROR, derives itself from three roots in the Hebrew language.

(1.) The first * " word primitively signifies to deviate or de" cline from the true scope or path," as unskilful markf-men,

* חטא Charta Scopo aberravit.

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199 or ignorant and inadvertent travellers use to do. The least variation or turning aside from the true rule and line, tho' it be but an hair's breadth, presently becomes an error. We read, Judg. xx. 16. of 700 Benjamites, who could every one fling ftones at an hair's breadth, and not miss, ולאיחטא Heb. and not err. This, by a metaphor, is applied to the mind or judgment of man; and denotes the warpings thereof from the - straight, perfect, divine law or rule, and is usually translated by the word fin.

(2.) It is derived from another word also, which fignifies to wander in variable and uncertain motions: You find it in the title of the 7th Pfalm, Shiggaion of David, a wandring song, or a fong of variable notes and tunes, higher and lower, sharper and flatter. In both the former derivations it seems to note simple error, through mere weakness and ignorance. But then,

(3.) In its derivation from a third root †, it signifies not only to err, but to cause others to err also; and so signifies a seducer, or one that is active in leading others into a wrong way; and is applied in that sense, to the prophets in Ifrael, who seduced the people, Ezek. xiii. 10. The Greek verb πλαναω, takes in both these senses, both to go astray, and, when put transitively, to lead or cause others to go astray with us. Hence is the word πλανήτης, planets, or wandering stars; the title given by the apostle Jude, ver. 13. to the false teachers and seducers of his time.

An error then is any departure or deviation in our opinions or judgments from the perfect rule of the divine law: and to this all men, by nature, are not only liable, but incliaable. Indeed man, by nature, can do nothing else but err, Pfal. lviii. 3. He goeth astray as soon as born; makes not one true step till renewed by grace, and many false ones after his renovation. The life of the holiest man is a book with many errata's; but the whole edition of a wicked man's life, is but one continued error: he that thinks he cannot err, manifestly errs in so thinking. The Pope's supposed and pretended infallibility hath made him the great deceiver of the world. A good man may err, but is willing to know his error; and will not obstinately maintain it, when he once plainly difcerns it. Error and heresy, among other things, differ in this: heresy is accompanied with pertinacy, and therefore the heretic is ἀκοκαλάκριος, felf-condemned; his own confcience condemns

*שנח Shaga + טעה Tagna in Hiph.

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him, whilst men labour in vain to convince him. He doth not formally, and in terms, condemn himself; but he doth so equivalently, whilft he continues to own and maintain doctrines and opinions which he finds himself unable to defend against the evidence of truth. Human frailty may lead a man into the first, but devilish pride fixes him in the last.

The word of God, which is our rule, must therefore be the only teft and touchstone to try and discover errors; for regula eft index fui & obliqui. 'Tis not enough to convince a man of error, that his judgment, differs from other mens; you must bring it to the word, and try how it agrees or disagrees therewith; elfe he that charges another with error, may be found in as great or greater an error himself. None are more disposed eafily to receive, and tenaciously to defend errors, than those who are the Antesignani, heads or leaders of erroneous sects; especially after they have fought in defence of bad causes, and deeply engaged their reputation.

The following discourse justly entitles itself, A BLOW AT THE ROOT. And though you will here find the roots of many errors laid bare and open, which, comparatively, are of far different degrees of danger and malignity; which I here mention together, many of them springing from the fame root: Yet I am far from cenfuring them alike; nor would I have any that are concerned in lesser errors be exasperated, because their lesser mistakes are mentioned with greater and more pernicious ones; this candour I not only intreat, but justly challenge from my reader.

And because there are many general and very useful observations about errors, which will not so conveniently come under the laws of that method which governs the main part of this discourse, viz. CAUSES and CURES of error: I have therefore forted them by themselves, and premised them to the following part in twenty observations next enfuing.

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Twenty general OBSERVATIONS about the Rife and
Increase of the ERRORS of the Times.

First Observation.

TRUTH is the proper object, the natural and pleasant food of the understanding, Job xii. 11. Doth not the ear (that is, the understanding by the ear) try words, as the mouth tafleth meat? Knowledge is the affimilation of the understanding to the truths received by it. Nothing is more natural to man, than a defire to know: knowledge never cloys the mind, as food doth the natural appetite; but as the one increaseth, the other is proportionably sharpened and provoked. The minds of all (that are not wholly immersed in sensuality) spend their strength in the laborious search and pursuit of truth: sometimes climbing up from the effects to the causes, and then descending again from

m the causes to the effects; and all to difcover truth. Fervent prayer, fedulous study, fixed meditations, are the labours of inquisitive fouls after truth. All the objections and counter-arguments the mind meets in its way, are but the pauses and hesitations of a bivious soul, not able to determine whether truth lies upon this side, or upon that.

Answerable to the sharpness of the mind's appetite, is the fine edge of pleasure and delight it feels in the discovery and acquifition of truth. When it hath racked and tortured itself upon knotty problems, and, at last, discovered the truth it fought for, with what joy doth the foul dilate itself, and run (as it were with open arms) to clasp and welcome it ?

The understanding of man, at first, was perfpicacious and clear; all truths lay obvious in their comely order and ravithing beauty before it: God made man upright, Eccl. vii. 29. This rectitude of his mind confifted in light and knowledge, as appears by the prescribed method of his recovery, Col. iii. 10. Renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. Truth in the mind, or the mind's union with truth, being part of the divine image in man, discovers to us the fin and mischief of error, which is a defacing (fo far as it prevails) of the image of God.

No sooner was man created, but by the exercise of knowledge he foon discovered God's image in him; and by his ambition after more, loft what he had. So that now there is an haziness or cloud spread over truth by ignorance and error, the sad effects of the fall.

Observ. 2. Of knowledge there are divers forts and kinds: fome is human, and some divine; some speculative, and some practical; fome ingrafted as the notions of morality, and some acquired by painful search and study: but of all knowledge, none like that divine and supernatural knowledge of saving truths revealed by Christ in the scriptures; from whence ariseth the different degrees both of the finfulness and danger of errors; those errors being always the worst, which are committed. against the most important truths revealed in the gospel.

VOL. IV.

Cc

These truths ly infolded either in the plain words, or evident and necessary consequences from the words of the Holy Scripture; fcripture-confequences are of great use for the refutation of errors: it was by a scripture-consequence, that Chrift fuccefsfully proved the refurrection against the Sadducees, Mat, xxii. The Arians, and other heretics, rejected confequential proofs, and rquired the express words of Scripture only; hoping, that way, to defend and secure their errors against the arguments and affaults of the orthodox.

Some think that reason and natural light is abundantly fuf. ficient for the direction of life; but certainly nothing is more neceffary to us, for that end, than the written word; for tho the remains of natural light have their place and use, in direct. ing us about natural and earthly things, yet they are utterly infufficient to guide us in spiritual and heavenly things, 1 Cor. ii. 14. "The natural man receiveth not the things of God," c. Eph. v. 8. "Once were ye in darkness, νῦν δὲὲ φῶς εν κνυρίω, DOW are ye light in the Lord;" i. e. by a beam of heavenly light shining from the Spirit of Christ thro' the written word, inte your minds or understandings.

'Tis the written word which shines upon the path of our du ty, Pfal. cxix. 105. The scriptures of the Old and New Testament do jointly make the folid foundation of a Christian's faith. Hence, Eph. ii. 20. we are faid to be built upon the foundation of the apofiles and prophets. We are bound therefore to honour Old Teflament scriptures, as well as new, they being part of the divine canon; and must not scruple to admit them as fufficient, and authentic proofs, for the confirmation of truths, and refuta. tion of errors. Chrift referred the people to them, John v. 39. and Paul preached and disputed from them, Acts xxvi.

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Observe. 3. Unto the attainment of divine knowledge out of the fcriptures, fome things are naturally, yet less princpally requisite in the fubject; and something abfolutely, and principally neceffary.

The natural qualifications defirable in the subject, are clearness of apprehenfion, folidity of judgment, and fidelity of retention. These are defirable requifites to make the understanding fufceptible of knowledge; but the irradiation of the mind, by the Spirit of God, is principally necessary, John xvi. 13. "He shall guide you into all truth:" The clearest and most comfortable light he giveth to men is in the way of fanctification, called the teachings of the anointing, I John. ii. 27.

When this spiritual sanctifying light shines upon a mind, natu

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